The Fashion Editor at Large

THE WEEK IN FASHION: NOVEMBER 21st-25th

2011-11-25T06:01:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Rihanna in McQ on X-Factor (from fashionforlunch.com)

This has been a wonderful few days for London Fashion Week build-up after two of Britain's greatest fashion exports, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, both announced that they would be holding shows during February's London Fashion Week. The Alexander McQueen house's younger line, McQ will be showing for the first time ever and has chosen London for the occasion. McQ's first store will also be opening on Dover Street next Spring. Meanwhile, Stella McCartney has held her catwalk show in Paris for years now but she is bringing a special one-off presentation to the capital. Next February's London event will be an evening affair to celebrate Stella's association with the 2012 Olympics, for which she is designing kits for Team GB. Not to be outdone by McQ, Stella also has plans for another store, this time in Brompton Cross. Until then, we can satisfy our Stella love at Selfridges' 'World of Stella' pop-up in January. Be sure to check out next week's Grazia for more McQ news from the FashEd.

A stellar 2012 for Stella (image from newsonlineinternational.wordpress.com)

NEWS JUST IN: Just as I thought all the excitement was over for another week in fashion, I've just seen the breaking news on WWD that over $400,000 worth of Louis Vuitton bags have been stolen in an operation by masked thieves last night at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. After last week's Marc Jacobs burglary, the designer is not having much luck at the moment.

Someone's on the run with a hell of a lot of Vuitton (image from coachhandbagclub.com)

A quite odd announcement from the Advertising Standards Authority this week; the images of 14 year-old Hailee Steinfeld sitting beside a railway line for Miu Miu's SS11 campaign have been banned. This is because they show a child in a hazardous situation. Obviously, that's completely understandable grounds for banning an image. However, they have have been all over the Internet and in magazines for months. This makes me think that the damage is done by now, so why ban the images just as they are being replaced with those from the Resort campaign anyway? I cannot help but think that is a clunky bit of bureaucracy rather than a meaningful decision. Am I wrong?

Look away children

On Wednesday evening, Net-a-Porter founder, Natalie Massenet interviewed Christian Louboutin at the V&A museum. You can see the best bits in the video below. Net-a-Porter were tweeting the event live. One of these tweets informed us that Mr Louboutin's dream woman to make shoes for would be Queen Elizabeth II. Interestingly, that very same day, some quite funny pictures were published of none other than Her Majesty (clad in her usual sensible black courts) shooting a concerned look at the Louboutin-esque footwear of Hayrunnisa Gul, the wife of Turkey's President, as she arrived with her husband at Buckingham Palace as part of their state visit to the UK.

Will Mr Louboutin be hearing from Her Majesty shortly we wonder? (image from dailymail.co.uk)

Rumoured supermodel couple Arizona Muse and Freja Beha Erichsen are the stars of Chloe's SS12 ad campaign. They were spotted at Chateau Marmont in LA, posing in dresses from the collection and generally having a fab time. We have hair and tan envy.

Summery fun for Arizona and Freja (Image from fashionologie.com)

And now for something a little more sobering. Most of us probably think of Arcadia as the behemoth of the British High Street; an almost untouchable retail giant. So, when it was announced yesterday that the company's profits had dropped by 38% and that 250 stores would be closing it was a signal that the economic environment is massively challenging right now. We may have been expecting bad news from smaller chains and businesses but Arcadia's decision to close nearly 10% of its stores shows that nobody is immune.

If you need help with your Christmas party attire then may we suggest you pop along to Harrods which is hosting a day of activities in their 'Way In' partywear department (on the 4th floor) on Saturday 3rd December. Fashion Illustrator David Longshaw will be there drawing customers in their new purchases. Henry Holland will also be transformed for one afternoon only into a shopfloor assistant, on hand to advise customers on the best looks. Actually, that all sounds like a bit of a party in itself, non?

Karl Lagerfeld gets the David Longshaw treatment

As Christmas is on its way, we thought we'd let you know about a couple of good causes to get involved in during the Season of Goodwill...

Erin O'Connor with some of the bags which are up for grabs.

For the next week, Save the Children are hosting an online designer bag auction to raise funds for their No Child Born to Die initiative. There are plenty of beauties to choose from including bags previously owned by Sienna Miller and Samantha Cameron. Also in the mix are some beauties from Alexander McQueen, Sophie Hulme and Christopher Kane (his liquid clutch which Erin O'Connor is holding is AMAZING). You can bid until 4th December. If all that doesn't make you visit the site, then perhaps Tilda Swinton can persuade you... She says:

“Bid high! Bid so much higher than you think you will or can! Think of a dicey number and double it. And then double that. No fancy bag can ever carry what your generosity will mean to the children it will help to live. Make this beautiful object truly valuable by investing real money in real life - and carry the evidence with pride. Don't count the cost. Think of it as paying something back for all there is to be grateful for in your days.”

If you're still feeling charitable then Volcom are asking for your donations of denim you no longer want... More details can be found here.

HELLO AZEALIA BANKS AND YOUR CUTE JUMPER

2011-11-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Azealia loves her Mickey jumpers (image from GQ.com)

THE new girl to buzz about is Azealia Banks, who has just topped NME's Cool List. The rapper from Harlem could not be more different from last year's winner Laura Marling, a folksy singer from a sleepy Hampshire village. Azealia Banks is culture's new naughty girl; where last year we hankered after the whimsical, goody two shoes vibes of Marling, that all feels a bit, well, quiet now. Banks is here to shout and swear us into a mad, hopping dance through the streets. And as she demonstrates, there's really just one uniform for that- a Mickey Mouse jumper.

Azealia looks super cute with her plaits, denim cut offs and cartoon tee- like a girl playing out in the summer holidays. Oh, but then she opens her mouth and all kinds of naughty words come out- beware of watching the video if you're a bit sensitive. She told GQ that the reason I, being English, love her song is because it makes me feel like I could have a shouty, sweary strop:

'I think that's a lot of the reason why people relate to it so much, because everybody wants to say, "F*** you!" I think by virtue of English culture being so polite, I feel like there's definitely a part of every English person that just wants to be like, "Aargh!" That's why it's picking up so much over here'

AAARGH exactly! I do think that however many times you want to scream c*nt, it's always that little bit more charming coming from someone with a childish quirk about them. I have to admit, I wouldn't be writing about Azealia if she'd been looking all tough in scary leathers and spikes. Instead, I see her as embodying so many things in the melting pot of mainstream Western culture right now. As the FashEd wrote earlier in the week, everything's got a bit BORING of late so listening to Banks is like turning all that on its head, shaking us awake and saying COME OUT TO PLAY. Her lyrics aren't the most profound ever and revolve quite a bit around sexual innuendo but at least they're challenging and provocative. She's an angry young woman. Her tangled but beautiful music reflects the frenzy felt by so many young people right now. From a fashion perspective, doing all this in a Mickey Mouse t-shirt takes what she's saying to another level. There's so much novelty, childish fashion on its way next year that the only way to do saccharine sweet without veering into vom territory is to add some Banks-ish attitude.

If a Disney jumper doesn't float your boat, a frill sock is a nice nod (image from GQ.COM)

I'm afraid I can't direct you to anywhere where you can purchase Azealia Banks' particular brand of f*ck you attitude but there are lots of Mickey tees about to get you started. Much more fun than a Colin Firth Christmas jumper.

Sweet and sparkly Minnie from Iceberg SS12


Classic Mickey £25 from truffleshuffle

Sweetly pink sweatshirt £30 Rokit

And for all our American readers, a special Happy Holidays Mickey jumper, in honour of Thanksgiving...

Happy Holidays! £24 Beyond Retro

GIRL CRUSH: MARY KATRANTZOU

2011-11-23T08:07:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Today is 'We <3 Mary' day here at FEAL HQ- last night I was lucky enough to meet the fabulous Greek designer herself at an event hosted by My Daily. This morning, the FashEd and I have been singing the praises of her bubbly, all-embracing approach to interacting with her fans, as well as her talent for combining print and shape in ever more visionary ways. Basically, Mary Katrantzou is our new girl crush because she can be a consumately professional design extraordinaire and a really nice person all at the same time! In this spirit, Mary has joined My Daily as a Contributing Editor; alongside her avid tweeting and enthusiasm to build the best possible website this makes her one of the most web savvy, and accessible, young designers out there.

Me, the Fashion Junior, with Mary Katrantzou

MyDaily editor Libby interviewed Mary last night and they covered everything from Mary's switch from studying Archtitecture in the US to Textile Design in London to the difference between a size 10 Mary dress and a size 14 ('the bigger the lady, the more print she gets'). Mary had plenty of snippets to divulge about how her business will grow in the future. Next June, she is hoping to launch her first pre-collection. She also wants to respond to all the interest men have shown in her designs- her SS12 blazer has been a popular order from the boys- by launching her own men's line in time. Bigger ambitions include a stand alone store in the middle of London, in a space which she can change all the time to suit the prevailing themes of her designs.

This blazer was inspired by simple Helmut Lang shapes from the 90s (image from catwalking.com)

Actually, Mary is a big fan of London. She claims that she would not be in fashion at all if it weren't for the world-renowned MA course at Central Saint Martins; she was tempted to stick to Textile Design but couldn't forego the opportunity to study under the guidance of Professor Louise Wilson whom she says 'gave me the confidence to talk about my work and forced me to develop a signature'. Mary was adamant that she'll be staying in London and showing her work in the young design context of London Fashion Week rather than trying to compete with bigger labels in other cities.

The final look from Mary Katrantzou SS12- The shape of a flower was the silhoutte which underpinned this collection (image from catwalking.com)

After the interview, I asked Mary how she was feeling about the timing clash of London and Milan fashion weeks in February. She acknowledged that it would be difficult but her spin made me think about situation differently. From a buyer's perspective, she suggests, London designers are currently among the most attractive because they pose less risk and can be more flexible than big, well-established labels. In the current economic climate, in which retail is taking quite a bashing, buyers like the fact that they can negotiate more on delivery times and minimum orders with the smaller labels, many of which are based in London. Crucially, their commerciality and growing reputation as exciting designers mean it's not a compromise for customers. Mary was also quick to point out that her designs and those of her peers are frequently being included in big editorial shoots around the world. The Katrantzou show is usually scheduled for the Tuesday of fashion week, by which time 'all the models have left for Gucci' so facing obstacles because of schedule clashes in nothing new for the Katrantzou team to deal with.

Mary Katrantzou AW11, photographed by Sean and Seng for POP

The FashEd interviewed Mary for the current issue of POP- I've included it here and we defy you not to have developed a full blown girl crush by the time you've finished. When I mentioned to Mary that I worked with Melanie, she was full of love for this piece. My Daily is also offering the chance to win a dress from Mary's SS12 collection- and if you're not a lucky winner and budgets don't stretch to the real Mary thing, you only have to hold out until February when her capsule collection for Topshop drops, hurrah!

AW11 TRENDS: BEING BORING (with boring fashion on the side)

2011-11-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

I'm going to tell you something you might not like. You are fricking boring. Booorrring. You make me want to cry tears of sheer and utter head-banging against a table-top frustration. It's not just you, I'm boring too. Well, actually, it's not quite like that. But it has been firmly established that Being Boring is a powerful trend infecting music, TV and culture in general. The Guardian last Thursday summed it up succinctly, citing our love of Adele, Kirstie Allsop, baking and Downton Abbey as key signifiers of the movement christened The New Boring by the excoriatingly smart popjustice.com editor Peter Robinson. All together now "We coudda had it aaaa- aa alll, rollin in the deee eee eep." Even now, as I write this, me and the Fashion Junior are listening to "Don't Your Remember" with a tear threatening to trash our carefully applied eye makeup.

Nice, boring jumper from L'Agence on Net-a-Porter.com just what the doctor ordered!

Well, I'm here to do my bit for boring fashion. Hopefully you're already in your pyjamas? Sales of those have gone through the roof recently, and you'll find the trendiest online and real world stores are heaving with sensible cable knit jumpers, lace up shoes, dull mannish coats, pared-back shopper bags, satchels, polo necks and novelty reindeer and snowflake jumpers. Alexa Chung's successful collection for Madewell is the height of Being Boring, what with its Bin Man Coat, and cosy cardigans.

So dull, even the bin men stopped wearing them. Alexa Chung loves her Bin Man Coat though.

It sounds wrong on paper that we should aspire to - nay even enjoy - boringness, but in fact we are all rather partial to it right now. I know I am. I draw the line at X-Factor and Coldplay's new album, but Frozen Planet is currently the highlight of my week, I can't listen enough to Arcade Fire's The Suburbs and my favourite new fashion item is a Isabel Marant Navajo inspired sweater. It certainly seems that we have an affection for boring things and find them amusing. How did this happen? Recession obviously. Dire straits cause us to contract into a smaller world of familiarity and safety. This directly correlates to our penchant for novelty Christmas jumpers.

The Pet Shop Boys brilliant ode to how not to be boring: "Being Boring." (1993)

When the Killing II hit BBC4 this weekend, all everyone could talk about in print and on Twitter was Sarah Lunds jumper. A fricking JUMPER. Boring! Yesterday aftertoon while Hugh Grant gave evidence to the Leveson Enquiry, inane and amusing Tweets about the #womanontheleft began trending on Twitter.

Grenson for girls at My-Wardrobe.com

At the weekend a young codger named James Ward hosted the world's first Boring Conference in London. Here's how yesterdays The Sun newspaper reported on it. "IT was billed as a dreary look at life's dullest things — the world's only Boring Conference. Speakers were lined up to talk on topics so mundane that delegates would be forced to poke themselves in the eyeballs with sharp objects just to stay awake. After the cancellation of the "Interesting" conference last year due to lack of interest, Ward tweeted that there should be an alternative event called Boring. The response from his Twitter followers was so huge he had to follow it through and stage an event. James said: "Last year we held a much smaller gathering but this is the first ever conference. I can't believe the number [400] attending. Subjects included polite small talk, electric hand dryers and the first ten years of Which? magazine 1957-67. But once the conference started it all went horribly wrong — it failed to bore the audience rigid." Oh how I laughed.

Nostalgia with a hefty dose of boring: a Cambridge Satchel Co. satchel,

Borring! From the New York Post's The Cut blog that boringly follows every outfit K-Mid wears

Protest against Being Boring here: Snow Bored by Ashish from TopShop

YVES SAINT LAURENT: L'AMOUR FOU

2011-11-21T06:52:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

It seems like barely a week goes by in the world of fashion without some new comments about the huge pressures faced by designers; after McQueen and Galliano there is definitely a sense of unease about the way the creative minds at the helm of big fashion houses can cope with the deadlines they are always up against.

YSL with Pierre Bergé (image from changefashion.net)

A clip from L'Amour Fou- click to see full screen

Thus when I watched 'L'Amour Fou', the new documentary about the life of Yves Saint Laurent, this weekend, these debates came to mind once again as Laurent's partner, Pierre Bergé, described the designer's fragile mental health and tumultuous relationship with drugs and alcohol during the 70s, 80s and 90s. Directed by Pierre Thoretton, this wasn't so much a tale of pressure, depression and addiction, but a love story. Everyone needs a Pierre Bergé in their life.

Yves Saint Laurent with his models

©Pierre Boulat Courtesy Association Pierre & Alexandra Boulat

This is a documentary about Yves Saint Laurent but you hardly hear his voice at all. The commentary of his career is provided instead by Bergé (whom YSL first met at the funeral of Christian Dior) and Laurent's muses Betty Catroux and Loulou De La Falaise. That in itself is illuminating; Bergé is the supportive lover, scorned during the worst of his partner's troubles while Catroux paints herself as a partner in misery for the designer with whom she would often discuss the hellishness of life.

Yves with Betty Catroux (from houseofmcnairy.com)

The documentary was made after Yves Saint Laurent's death and even begins with scenes from his funeral. From the outset, therefore, he is a ghostly presence rather than a protagonist. So this is a huge contrast to something like 'The Last Emperor' in which Valentino is categorically the star. But I wouldn't say that's a downfall to the film at all because those who knew him best paint an enchanting image one of the most gifted designers ever. It also makes the moments when archive footage of YSL is shown all the more poignant; one of my favourites is an interview in which he states his favourite quality in a man is 'body hair' and that earthly happiness is 'a full bed'.The combination of anecdotes and archival footage depict Saint Laurent as funny, eccentric and charming during his best times.

Yves Saint Laurent in 1969 (image from hautefashionafrica.com)

However, I came away from 'L'Amour Fou' feeling like Pierre Bergé was the best thing about it. It's not often that the supporting act gets a look-in but Yves Saint Laurent could never have been the fashion game changer he was, at least not so successfully, without Bergé. In his own right, Bergé has achieved an awful lot, particularly in the fight against AIDS. He has been appointed a UN Goodwill Ambassador and has been a longtime supporter of the political left in France.

Bergé at the funeral of Yves Saint Laurent in June 2008

The film is structured around the sale of the couple's vast collection of art, lovingly amassed as soon as they became wealthy enough to do so. One of YSL's most famous designs is the Mondrian inspired dress but when that was created, Bergé remembers that actually owning a Mondrian was a distant dream for the couple. In parts the film becomes a little slow as it somewhat dryly shows shots of all the art which is to be sold off, only adding to the eeriness of YSL's absence. But then the ending is a quite astounding montage of the auction, Bergé looks on as much of the material gain of his life with Yves is sold off to buyers willing to pay millions. The proceeds from the sale are divided between The Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation, Bergé himself and a number of the charities which the couple supported. And what clinches this as a love story? Bergé's analogy that many would see the auction as him purging the evidence of his half century with Saint Laurent but for him those millions are nothing compared to the sharing of a life, and the ending which came with Saint Laurent's death. For lovers of fashion and great love stories, this is a must-see.

L'Amour Fou is released today in the UK. Buy it here. Clip courtesy of Studio Canal.

2011-11-20T05:59:00.000-08:00

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THE WEEK IN FASHION: 14th-18th NOVEMBER

2011-11-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

It's a case of fashion mirroring life this week as we bring you news of births and deaths and, er, rebirths. It's been pretty dramatic actually.

Tom Ford SS12

American Vogue has just released the very first pictures of Tom Ford's SS12 collection (photographed by the multitalented Mr Ford himself). The former Gucci designer had decreed that the designs he showcased in a highly exclusive catwalk show should not be seen until now to avoid people becoming bored of them before they were available to buy. However, he suffered something of a backlash when fashion editors including The Guardian's Jess Cartner-Morley and Le Figaro's Virginie Mouzat wrote negative reviews not only of the clothes but also of that approach to showing. Sarah Mower's interview with Ford, which is posted beneath the pictures, reveals that Ford will revert to intimate showroom presentations for his next collection, emphasising the necessity to explain each look in detail. Furthermore, Ford claims that he designs in response to what his customers want, hence all the flounced mini dresses. Now that we can see for ourselves, what are your thoughst?

Tom Ford SS12

Tom Ford SS12 (All images from American Vogue)

Evelyn, her husband Leonard and Estée (from WWD)

On Sunday, the sad news arrived that Evelyn Lauder, daughter in law of Estée, had died at the age of 75 from Ovarian Cancer, having suffered Breast Cancer in the past. Evelyn not only played an instrumental role in growing Estée Lauder from a small family business into one of the world's biggest beauty companies but she also made a profound contribution to raising awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Research. In 1989, she was diagnosed with the disease and went on to spearhead the Pink Ribbon campaign which has now become a widely recognised symbol of support. The fact that Evelyn's childhood was marred by her family's escape from Nazi-occupied Europe only makes her lifetime achievements more incredible. The New York Times' obituary has some fascinating insights into Evelyn's life.

The Lauder family. Evelyn is seated, hugged by her son. Estée is in the white hat (from WWD)

In happier news, it's time to congratulate Julia Restoin Roitfeld, daughter of Carine, who's expecting her first baby. Somehow we can't imagine Carine sitting down to knit booties or change a nappy quite yet but I think we can safely say that this could be the best dressed grandchild on the planet once it arrives in May. A day out with Grandma Roitfeld could involve anything from sitting FROW at fashion week to crawling around on a Chanel shoot... Lucky babes!

Julia with boyfriend and baby daddy, Robert Konjic (image from thevoguediaries.com)

Versace Couture SS09 (images from audreysworld.blogspot.com)

This week has, let's admit it, been rather dominated by the launch of Versace's collection for H&M. Just a couple of days before the brand went high street, it was announced that they would be swinging right back the other way in January with the re-introduction of a couture show. It's set to take place on January 23rd, the first day of the couture week. WWD points out that Versace has still been doing couture during its seven year absence from the schedule, opting to keep to more discreet appointments. I guess now that the world is buzzing with Versace frenzy, it's a good time to capitalise on keeping up the momentum. I can't imagine we'll see the queues we saw yesterday though!

Versace Couture SS09

Marc Jacobs' SS12 London press day had to be cancelled yesterday after the collection was stolen during its journey from Paris. Some have pointed the finger at counterfeiters who might be out to copy the collection. Or could it be a sneaky ploy by Dior HQ to harangue Jacobs into becoming their Head Designer? Whoever the culprits are, one thing's for sure- they will be easily identified by their translucent flapper dresses and general 'thirties meets future' vibe. No word of a reward for information as yet...

Missing: Have you seen this Marc Jacobs SS12? (Image from www.lloyd-evans.com)

The best ad campaigns are the ones which get everyone talking; Benetton have certainly achieved that this week with their latest set of images which depict world-famous figures kissing one another. If you can see the lighter side of the world's current woes then these are very entertaining. However, the Vatican were not in a humorous mood about the image which shows the Pope in embrace with Mohammed Ahmed al-Tayeb, an Egyptian Grand Sheik. The Guardian reports that Fr Federico Lombardi said: "We must express the firmest protest for this absolutely unacceptable use of the image of the Holy Father, manipulated and exploited in a publicity campaign with commercial ends. This shows a grave lack of respect for the pope, an offence to the feelings of believers, a clear demonstration of how publicity can violate the basic rules of respect for people by attracting attention with provocation." There is a deeper message to Benetton's images though; they support Unhate which is campaigning for a world free from hate culture, what's to object to about that?

The Pope with Mohammed Ahmed al-Tayeb

Angela Merkel and Nicholas Sarcozy get cosy (Images from dailymail.co.uk)

On Sunday, the surprise news emerged that Tamara Mellon would be leaving her role at Jimmy Choo, the company she has ushered from small time cobbler to one of the world's best known accessories brands. On Sunday evening, there was an impeccably timed advert for Jimmy Choo perfume during X Factor which starred Mellon herself. A firm reminder to those in the industry that she knows exactly how to play the game. Speculation that Mellon will be launching her own name brand before too long is already mounting. The fashion world's eyes are sure to be closely watching how Jimmy Choo and Tamara Mellon get on without one another. Lisa Armstrong is sure that we should expect plenty more from Mellon...

Mellon starring in Jimmy Choo's perfume campaign (image from nytimes.com)

In case you hadn't noticed, Lady Gaga has been in the UK this week and while she's here she has been taking advantage of the opportunity to showcase designs by some of London's finest. It must have been love at first sight for Gaga and the Roksanda Ilincic dress which she was seen out and about in just an hour after it was sent to her on Wednesday! She's also worn two outfits from Osman Yousefzada's SS12 collection and a look from Simone Rocha's first standalone collection which comprised a beautiful array of trapped lace pieces. It looks like Gaga has developed her look recently after parting from her long time stylist and collaborator Laurieann Gibson earlier this month. Here at FEAL, we're loving the Gaga London look, long may it continue!

Gaga in Simone Rocha (image from graziadaily.co.uk)

In Osman (image from telegraph.co.uk)

In Roksanda Ilincic (image from telegraph.co.uk)

Sample Sale Alert! Next Friday 25th November, Mawi jewellers will be having a massive sample sale with up to 80% off usual prices. It'll be at MAWI STUDIO, 2, Nimrod Passage, London. N1 4BU from 9am to 8pm. Just in time for Christmas!

This necklace will be reduced from £810 to £300

This L'Wren Scott dress is $999 from $2145; in ££ that's about £500.... not bad. Gilt.com

Last night the FashEd had dinner with Kevin Ryan and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson the founder and co-founder of the hugely successful American flash sale site gilt.com at the Savoy. The occasion was the firm making its discounted stock available for UK and European shipping for the first time. Think of the site as TK Maxx online, but whereas TK Maxx run their shops with a less is more approach, Gilt.com is a slick package, and trying to make discounted luxury feel sexy and special.

Joining the site is free, and once a UK member you can log on every day at 5pm to gain access to 20 flash sales. What fun. Today’s bargains come from, among others, L’Wren Scott. You have to but in $$ but with the current exchange rate, this is a good thing! We would encourage you to join now at Gilt.com.

WHO'S BUYING VERSACE FOR H&M?

2011-11-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

The amount of hype surrounding Versace's collaboration with H&M has been nothing short of immense. There was the the elaborate launch party in New York last week, posters all over the place and a commercial featuring Donatella herself which has been showing during prime time slots like The X-Factor. The point of all this was quite blatantly to make sure that there would be queues of people lined up this morning to get their hands on a little bit of high street Donatella. The Queue has become a phenomenon of the H&M collaboration story, but The Queue is not a singular thing- it is made up of individuals who all have their own reasons for being a part of it. This morning I went along to the Oxford Circus store, just down the road from the Regent Street opening where Donatella and Lady Gaga made appearances. Despite the lack of celebrity, The Queue still stretched right around the block. I was really interested to find out who was in The Queue and why... I expected a variety of reasons but was completely fascinated by the broad appeal which this collaboration seems to have. Readers, meet The Queue...

1. Hikaru, 24, Works at CyberDog in Camden

Hikaru's J.W Anderson-esque boots are from Japan

'I've been here since 8 this morning. I think the clothes are gorgeous- this will be my first piece of Versace, I love that they're making it accessible. I also came and bought the Lanvin collaboration last year, but I've never queued like this before. I want to buy the black and white zig-zag t-shirt. I look really bad today but I had to get up early to come here, I even dragged my friend along'

2. Joan, 60, Local Authority Commissioner.

'I've come to buy Christmas presents for my daughter and my son's girlfriend- they're both 23/24 but it's a bit OTT for me so I won't be getting anything for myself! My son's girlfriend is at Manchester University and students get to know about these things. I don't know much about Versace, I know the emblem. I didn't get here too early, about 8.40, but my son is up ahead of me in the queue. He's going to buy something for himself. His style is usually quite retro and all this is a bit glittery for him but I think he's going to get a shirt. We're getting the leggings and some jewellery for the girls. I've taken the day off work especially to come!'

Luis in the bomber he hadn't planned to buy

I found Joan with her son, Luis, a bit later. He'd already been allowed in for the menswear and had got himself the bomber jacket 'because everyone was going for it- it was such a cattle rush'. He was waiting to go in again with his Mum to get their hands on the womenswear.

4. Akosua, 21, Freelance Photographer and Brenda, 19, a Footwear Student at Cordwainers.

Akosua (left) and Brenda

Akosua: 'I thought the commercial was amazing- that completely drew me here. It made me want to get my hands on MY designer piece- I really want the leggings and the bomber jacket. I find most collaborations rubbish- they look so high street but to me this one seems outside the box. It looks like authentic Versace. I know that dress that Liz Hurley wore and the one Jennifer Lopez wore- they're what you think of when you think of Versace and this collection actually looks like that. I really didn't like the Lanvin collaboration'

Brenda: 'I want the leggings and the bomber too. I won't be buying the boots- I've got such high standards with shoes I don't think they'd be right but I'm just excited to be here. We got up at 5 but had loads of stress so didn't get here til 8'

5. Ardy, 38, Head of Jewellery at Phillips Auction House

Former model Ardy

'This is like going back to my roots in the 80s. I was a model in Paris and Versace was everywhere so this is really nostalgic for me. This collection looks really fun but it's also reasonable. I think it's going to be more collectible than your average Versace as well. I used to go to Miami a lot and I would see Gianni around a lot so this is really like going back to my youth and the Versace brand was a big part of that. I think everyone's done so well sleeping out, I wouldn't have done that.'

6. Cornelia, 23, Merchandising student at London College of Fashion

'I wanted to experience the H&M queue. I've lived all over the world in Australia, Thailand, South Africa and have never been anywhere where there's an H&M when these things happen. I'm not mad about the clothes- they're not really my style, it's more about seeing it all. I'm going to get the scarf because then I have something and it'll be a wardrobe staple but I think the clothes will date really quickly. I know a bit about Versace, about Gianni being shot. I think this collection is showing what the brand is all about. My friend is in Switzerland trying to buy it online and it keeps crashing apparently'

7. Tobi, 21, English student at Goldsmiths

'I heard about this about a month ago and I could see it was like the Classic Versace. I'm really into 90s hip- hop and this has all those classic emblems. I'm really here for the style. I didn't know that much about Versace but I've been learning more recently- it's such a powerhouse. All the clothes are just like what everyone in the hip hop and urban community wears. It reminds me of Biggy Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G) and recently people like Lady Gaga and Kanye West have been bringing it all back. I never usually get up before noon so this is a big thing for me- nobody thought I could do it!'

8. Rhandes, 25, Runs a Fashion Marketing business

'I just wanted to come along and check it out and take some pictures. I will be buying a few pieces too- I really want the pink dress with stars on. I'm going to buy my husband some shirts too. He's at home sick in bed and he keeps calling me every five minutes to see if I'm in yet. I think Versace clothes are so original and vibrant and vivid. I don't know loads about the brand's history but I'm interested in art and I can see how they use that. My favourite designers are Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford which I guess are a bit different. I tried to queue for the Cavalli collection but that was just too manic'

9. Jay, 20, Business Management Student

'I love all the H&M collaborations. I completely loved the Lanvin collection. It's not so much about the designer for but the fact that it's in H&M so it's a good price. I have some Prada clothes but I mostly just think of myself as a normal girl who likes to be on trend. I know that if I buy some dresses from the Versace collection then I'll be trendy. I really trust H&M'

10. Leonardo, 23, Italian and Spanish student and Eva, 30, Fashion Design student

Leonardo: 'I always, always come when a new H&M collaboration launches. I was here for Lanvin, Sonia Rykiel... alll of them! I just love fashion and this makes it so accessible. I'm definitely here to buy the name. We've been here since 11 last night. I'd been on the Vogue website and planned everything I wanted to buy- I made a list. I got everything I wanted apart from the boxers so we're off to another store now to find those. My favourite designers are McQueen, Galliano and Marc Jacobs- I just love fashion'

Leonardo was wearing his Lanvin t-shirt (along with McQueen scarf and Vuitton bag)

Eva: 'I checked the clothes and the fabrics are nasty, so synthetic. But I don't mind that . We buy this high street crap all the time but it's special if it has a designer name on it- the label! I usually despise loud prints but Versace has a way of making me love them'

WHAT THEY'RE BUYING:

Everything seems to be sold out now on the H & M site, but as some commenters have said, there's plenty available at inflated prices on ebay. Here's what everyone I spoke to wanted to buy (or had bought)...


Furry waistcoat £39.99


Bomber £69.99


Palm print leggings £24.99


Pink dress £129.99

Earrings £19.99

From the men's collection...


Black/ White optical illusion jumper £49.99

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CARMEN

2011-11-16T04:42:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Carmen with Norman Parkinson in 1959. This picture was taken by Bronson Hartley, who createted the diving helmets.

Last night, I had an experience rather akin to meeting your Fairy Godmother. I popped into the preview of London College of Fashion's new exhibition 'Carmen: A Life in Fashion'. Despite the many people much more important than myself who were clamouring to have a moment with Carmen Dell'Orefice, whose career has spanned over more than 60 years, I did manage to grab a few moments in the velvety presence of the woman who is called The World's Oldest Supermodel. I cannot put into words Carmen's beauty and luminosity; she is like a superior, superhuman creature; a Queen Bee.Yet, in conversation she is a purveyor of compassionate words and is not afraid to share all the wisdom she has gathered over a lifetime in fashion.

Carmen shot by Tim Petersen in 2010

Another recent Tim Petersen shot

When I asked her which decade was her favourite, out of all those she has worked through, she said NOW is the most exciting time for her. I can see the logic of this; when most people her age are enjoying their dotage and slowing down, she is doing something very different by continuing to work (realistically, this is perhaps more out of necessity than choice).

Carmen with Horst P Horst 1947

She is blazing her own trail without really knowing where it might take her, a feeling most twenty-somethings are probably used to, less so her eighty year old contemporaries. Despite the fact that her most recent return to work was due to losing her life savings to Bernie Madoff, she insists that rather than being financially motivated, the continuation is part of a her ongoing reinvention of herself. 'Eighty to 100 will be be my most fascinating years!'.

Carmen in the early 1940s

This attitude is also reflected in the story of LCF's exhibition. Carmen's friend, the fashion illustrator David Downton, was at her apartment in New York and came across boxes full of photos from her career, stuffed away beneath her bed. Somebody who was more nostalgic might have carefully filed all their work but Carmen is no such woman.

From 1959, with under the bed crumples.

Some of the photographs in the exhibition have little tears or marks where sellotape has been ripped off them. These are all endearing signs that Carmen's mind is firmly in the moment, rather than fussing about preserving the past. She was also incredibly enthusiatic about the prospect of her photographs being exhibited in the LCF space where young creatives have access to her archive and can be inspired.

Carmen dell'Orefice, photgraphed by Cecil Beaton in 1946 (Image from flickr.com)

One of my favourite images from the exhibition is the Cecil Beaton, above, from 1946. It struck me that this could easily have been an editorial from 2012, showcasing Spring/Summer Erdem or Louis Vuitton. When I asked Carmen for her thoughts about this, she dismissively pointed out that 'Fashion is always being recycled'. She often has people tell her that 'they want to be just like her'. This is unsurprising given how in her presence, one feels enveloped in a cashmere blanket of glamour, a highly inimitable trait. But she retorts 'You weren't like me twenty years ago, why would you want to be like me now?'.

Carmen values the individuality of Daphne Guinness, who she says has made herself into a 'walking object'. "Daphne knows herself and has uncompromisingly taken that all the way," she says. Carmen believes we should all adopt our own version of this attitude; she tells me that she is always refining herself and casting a critical eye.

I shall leave you with Carmen's mantras, which she told me as she squeezed my hand, a truly magic moment:

Her style tip: 'Always be eliminating elements of your look, but don't tell anybody what you've eliminated, so that you have a mystery'

Have Courage

Don't be a sheep; 'I don't admire Daphne Guinness as such, but I do value her point of view on herself'

Know yourself and be who you truly are.

Live for now. I'm excited about now, why would I look back?

Live fearlessly.

.... Amen to that.

'Carmen: A Life in Fashion' is on at London College of Fashion on John Princes Street from November 16th until January 14th- best of all, it's free!

Unless otherwise indicated, all images are kind courtesy of London College of Fashion.

HOW SWEET IS HARVEY NICHOLS?

2011-11-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

Just back from the Harvey Nichols press day. Like all great department stores this one is a global institution, and a national treasure with branches across Britain. Therefore their press day is an opportunity to see what fashion lovers in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester and London will gain access to next Spring. One of my discoveries is so fabulous I'm saving her until tomorrow for an in-depth look at her work, but the best of the rest is here for your pleasure...

Below is a truly spectacular print from young New York based Parisian Jospeh Altuzarra who won American fashion's most prestigious new talent award, the $300,000 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, last night. The pocket diva is going to be huge! Trust. One thing is for sure, his sexy tropicana chic will be a welcome lift when it hits the store next spring. Just how awesome is this print?

The print above came from a dress v similar to this one. (via catwalking.com)

Hello Joseph! Lookin hawt in one of your dresses, yes? (from W Magazine via holymoly.com)

Joseph Altuzarra was not present at Harvey Nichols' press day. He was probably nursing a celebratory hangover in NYC but other designers of note were in attendance at the store. Ed Meadham and Ben Kirchhoff, the designers behind Meadham Kirchhoff, turned up to see how Harvey Nichols, which had taken as inspiration for its press day their saccharine sweet Spring/Summer 2012 show. had handled it. Cue several arches of pastel coloured balloons, candy-floss, a balloon lady (see below) and lots of Meadham Kirchhoff's sickly-sweet Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Ben + Ed were on typical form. They informed me thay have a new PR, Black Frame in London and they are the only client of the London office. Black Frame reps Rodarte in New York. Things are definitely looking on the up and up for these two.

Sweetie-pie chic by Meadham Kirchhoff at Harvey Nichols

Meadham Kirchhoff inspired Harvey Nichols to hire Twistina the Amazing Balloon Lady. She was ace!

Lastly, my third (but not final) inspirational Harvey Nicks moment of the day was the young model and illustrator Naomi Preizler who created the little take-away sum-up of the press day below. She uses herself as a model in this illustration, but is also known to sketch fellow models backstage at the shows. She doesn't have a website for her illustration work, but hopefully this is only a matter of time.

Naomi Preizler (Image from Marie Maud)

ART IN FASHION: SIMEON FARRAR AT THE BASEMENT GALLERY

2011-11-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Simeon Farrar at The Basement Gallery, in a t-shirt of his own design

Last week, I spent an afternoon with artist and fashion designer Simeon Farrar at his current exhibition at The Basement Gallery. The interaction between art and fashion is always hard to pin down; probably because there are so many ways that the two can be combined. So, I wanted to share Simeon with you because he is an artist who has carved out a popular fashion business by transferring what he does as an artist onto clothes.

The paint dripped shed forms the centrepiece of the exhibit, inside are Simeon's sketches of models.

'Of Rainbows and halos' is a return for Farrar 'The Artist' having focused on his fashion business for the past seven years. His last solo show was back in 2001. It is a kind of mini retrospective with work which he did before his foray into fashion, as well as pieces which he has worked on as part of displays and installations in the past few years.


A shopper from Simeon's weather themed SS12 collection- image by Richard Lonsdale

Farrar trained in Fine Art at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham. From 1997- 2004, he was very much an artist, a versatile one at that; Farrar would prefer 'no labels' saying simply 'I'm an artist' rather than pigeon holing himself into categories such as 'painter', 'screen printer' etc. Indeed, his explorations of different techniques were what initially led him into fashion after he decided to make up some t-shirts. His success was virtually instantaneous and he was soon exhibiting at London Fashion Week. He calls it 'the biggest learning curve of my life'; he didn't even have an order book, but nevertheless received plenty of visits from buyers and was awarded the NewGen award three times.

The t-shirt which accompanies the exhibition: £50 at The Basement Gallery

Since then, Farrar's work has been bought by some of the world's coolest shops- Liberty in London and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong amongst them. Although he would never claim to be any kind of fashion insider; he was recently approached by Colette's buyer at LFW and was the only one in the room not to recognise her. You may be most familiar with Farrar's 'Kate Mouse' character which he created last year as part of a nursery rhymes collection. He worked with Net-a-Porter to produce a t-shirt version which was sold in aid of the Japan Earthquake Relief appeal. Fashion-wise, it is this humour which Farrar puts into his prints which is his main attraction. Inside the shed are lots of prints of Simeon's model sketches- if you fancy one for your wall as well as your wardrobe then prices are between £30 and £75 depending on the size.

A halo print by Simeon Farrar. Available to buy from a selection at the exhibition

Kate Mouse at Net-a-Porter £50

He has thrown himself behind efforts to fundraise for those affected by the earthquake, perhaps because a number of his stockists are in Japan. His right hand woman- womenswear designer and pattern cutter Mika Haverly- is also Japanese so the label has close ties in the country. I love the video below, by Richard Lonsdale, of the screen printing event he did back in April at Johnbull in Tokyo. Each of Simeon's t-shirts (his collection can be found at Young British Designers) is washed after printing so that the pattern becomes becomes completely unique. We compared some t-shirts when I met with Simeon and it really is amazing how the colours can blend so differently each time. This is one of the reasons why Farrar keeps all his printing in-house at his studio in Shoreditch; it is details like these which demonstrate the art aspect of the Simeon Farrar brand which he is determined to keep at the heart of what he does.

Simeon Farrar: Japan 日本 2011. John Bull, Daikanyama from The Field Office on Vimeo.

One of my favourite parts of the exhibition were the perfume bottles which Farrar originally created as part of an installation for Lane Crawford. He was interested in the way that smells jog our memories. One of my favourite literary moments ever comes in Proust when the smell of madeleines (little french cakes) cooking takes the narrator back to being a child. Perfumes are particularly good at evoking such remembrances, possibly because we tend to attach their smell so much to the person we know who wears it. Simeon asked people to write down the thoughts they had when they remembered the smell of somebody special. He then trapped these written thoughts into the bottles as he made them. There are also delicate scraps of fabric in the bottles, making for a quite beautiful and emotive display. Simeon has melted the bottles so that there is a sense of decay as they drip over the edge of the table and shelf on which they are displayed.

For Lane Crawford, the bottles were made into a chandelier which became a window display. Farrar is enthusiastic about the effect art like this can have on democratising fashion. 'People waiting at the bus stop outside the store would be looking in at the chandelier, trying to read all the little messages on the bottles' he told me, 'they would never have looked in that store otherwise, thinking it was beyond their reach'.

If you like the look of the bottles then purchasing them is up for negotiation.

At this exhibition, the perfume bottles neatly represent what Simeon Farrar in 2011 is all about; an artist who has successfully established a fashion label. He has relished the opportunity which the exhibition has given him to just do art, immersing himself for days in transforming the gallery space, away from the admin side of having a fashion brand. I asked if he felt that fashion was a phase in his life as an artist? 'I used to, yes, but now I employ people and it's doing well so I can't stop'. But now that the fashion side is ticking along quite nicely, I get the impression that Simeon will make sure he gets back being 'the artist' a bit more frequently. I could share more insights and stories from the exhibition with you, but really you should pop in yourselves to take a look.

Simeon Farrar: Of Rainbows and Halos is on at The Basement Gallery at 10 Newburgh Street until 24th November.

THE WEEK IN FASHION: 7th- 11th NOVEMBER

2011-11-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

There have been plenty of goings on in the world of fashion this week- I've just been catching up on many of the stories myself having been out at press days for most of the past few days. This week we have more news from the Dior saga, fur bans and much more... Enjoy!

Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz never fails to make fashion seem fun and accessible- see THAT video. So, his new project might not come as a huge surprise- Elbaz is to pen a book which charts the development of a Lanvin collection from start to finish. The book will be around 700 pages long so we are sure to get a super in-depth view of every possible nook and cranny of the collection. This will also be an insight into the designer's personal process; the first few pages of the book are blank to symbolise Elbaz's starting point!

Elbaz backstage (from lovelanvin.tumblr.com)

Today, the plot of the Dior saga has thickened once more after fresh doubts were cast on the apparent certainty that Marc Jacobs would be announcing his move there from Vuitton any day. We reported last week that news had reached us that Jacobs would not be leaving his current post but pace has now gathered behind that assertion. It seems that it could just be to big a wrench for Jacobs to take the Dior job when he is so content at Vuitton. Furthermore, Phoebe Philo is understandably reticent about moving from Celine to Vuitton (as many had suspected). Could the only way out of the mess now be for Bernard Arnault to go back to Galliano, as Franca Sozzani and Manolo Blahnik have suggested?

A gratuitous picture of MJ's muscles from vipstills.blogspot.com)

The Versace for H & M collection was never going to be quietly put into stores without a big song and dance to hail its arrival, was it? Thus, this week fashion people and celebrities flocked to NYC for a launch conducted in typically flamboyant Versace fashion; there were performances from Prince and Nicky Minaj while guests included Linda Evangelista and Jessica Alba- all decked out in pieces from the collection of course. WWD reported that the show 'must have set a record pace for 43 looks. The models descended on the maze-like runway like speeding bullets coming at you from all directions'. Although the clothes were the pretext of the evening, the speed of the show is telling because once it was over the real business of demonstrating the glamour which identifies the Versace brand could really crank into action with high octane performances at the specially decked out venue. It wasn't til much later, apparently, that the guests could get their mitts on the clothes.

Donatella in one her designs for H & M

Nicky Minaj (images from telegraph.co.uk)

Last Saturday came the sad news that Loulou de la Falaise, a woman instrumental in the success of Yves Saint Laurent had passed away aged 63. Somewhat unusually for a muse, de la Falaise also had a key creative role at the house, overseeing the costume jewellery which is now one of its strongest signatures. Bronwyn Cosgrave wrote this excellent obituary which is a must-read no matter how much you already know about Loulou de la Falaise.

Loulou de la Falaise (image from nickverreos.blogspot.com)

Oh dear, it seems that Celine's use of skateboards in their SS11 ads might have backfired on them because Kidult has made them the latest victim of his campaign against the commercialisation of the graffiti world. The shop front in Paris is not looking quite so slick as the Celine people might like! In July, Kidult said of his targets:

'At some point, all these shops have used graffiti culture as a commercial image, riding the trend without being a part in the least and for which the only point is to make some cash. All I say to them is “hello”; if these brands really like graffiti, I only give them what they like, so what if it’s beautiful or ugly. We gotta stop these brands from dictating a culture that belongs to us'

If that wasn't sufficient warning for the Celine people then we don't know what is!

Juergen Teller's images for Celine SS11 with Daria Werbowy (image from highsnobiety.com)

The Celine store in Paris, plus SK8 courtesy of Kidult (image from www.highsnobiety.com)

The new Muppets film, in which Miss Piggy will be playing a French Vogue Editor, is out here in February. She has been getting into fashionista character by talking to OUT to give a 'snout out to the gays'. These snout outs includes 'Thanks, but no spanx' and 'You can call me a diva- just don't call me a ham'. See the fashion commandments according to Miss Piggy here, and bring on the film- Emmanuelle Alt had better watch out...

Not exactly the style we have come to expect from a French Fashion Editor... (image from www.out.com)

There is plenty of information out there to deter consumers from buying fur but in most places it is still a personal decision, despite the vitriol which those wearing fur will undoubtedly face from some they encounter. However, in West Hollywood authorities are taking deterrence a step further by voting to ban the sale of items made from fur in the area. Ed Buck, from the group Fur Free WeHo which prompted the decision, said '"We made history. We're the first place in the world, I believe, certainly the country, to take that step and ban fur". However, retailers are worried about the potential losses they will incur if they cannot meet their customer's demands. After all, this is just a small area of Los Angeles which is full of shops so fur lovers won't have to go far to fulfil their needs. And those people do have have considerable spending power; the Fur Information Council claims that fur sales in the US rose by 3.1% last year to $1.3 billion in the US. Is West Hollywood patronising its residents by making this decision on their behalf, or are they an example of the future for fur as fashion?

Marlene Dietrich in an image which undoubtedly glamorises fur, WeHo is saying that is a notion they can no longer sanction

A tip off now about an upcoming sample sale. Here are the deets...

Dates: Thursday 24th November, Friday 25th November, Saturday 26th November and Sunday 27th November 2011. Location: The Old Truman Brewery, Shop 14, 15 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR.
Opening Times: Thursday 13.00 – 20.00, Friday 12.00 – 20.00, Saturday 12.00 – 19.00, Sunday 12.00– 18.30. Some brands you'll find there: See by Chloe, Joseph, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Belstaff, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, DKNY Jeans,Missoni, Ralph Lauren, Salvatore Ferragamo, D&G, Lanvin, Moncler, French Connection, Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo and many more. Happy Shopping!

The new Harper's Bazaar (image from harpersbazaar.co.uk)

Finally, our video of the week is the long-awaited collaboration between Duran Duran, a smattering of 90s supermodels, Dolce and Gabbana and Harper's Bazaar magazine. Girl Panic! shows Naomi Campbell, Eva Hervigoza, Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen and Yasmin Le Bon become Duran Duran for the day. The cover of December's Harper's Bazaar features 'The Supers' in classic high glamour style. It's all happened at the The Savoy and is a prime example of the hedonistic effect of combining music and fashion. Look out for cameos from Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. A perfect ten minute escape, shot by Jonas Akerlund...

THE NEW SMYTHSON ANTONIA BAG

2011-11-10T04:42:00.000-08:00

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

I saw this divine bag at the Smythson press day for SS12 a couple of weeks ago. I saw it again at the My-Wardrobe.com press day yesterday. When I first saw it I went snap-happy, and set about capturing it from every angle. Something about its bubblegum pink exterior spoke to me of fun, while the boxiness and the nanna clasp at the top made me think of Margaret Thatcher, how it would be possible to mock box someone around the ear with it. Prim but a bit bonkers. Now I just need to find out who Antonia is...

Photos: Fashion Editor at Large

A FEW FAVOURITE THINGS

2011-11-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

The FashEd and I have been busy skipping about London town, going to some of the myriad of press days which are taking place at the moment to showcase what will be in the shops next Spring. Before I pop out to another, I've got a minute to share with you some of our favourites from what we've seen yesterday and today....

1. BROWNS- BAGS BY SOPHIE ANDERSON

Sophie has lived and travelled a lot in Colombia and that shows in the bright pops of South American weave and traveller vibe of her bags. She stays faithful to the roots she has put down by employing four indigenous Indian tribes from around South America to weave her bags. The sleek finish and neon colour ways make these so much more than something reminiscent of a gap yah souvenir. We love.

2. STARWORKS- LULU & CO/ FASHION EAST

The Starworks Press Day was a complete treat- full of collections by some of the most exciting young designers London has to offer right now. In their midst is Lulu Kennedy's Fashion East, which is one the best ways for talent to get a leg up on the fashion week schedule. Her own label, Lulu & co works in collaboration with the designers which Fashion East supports. Lulu told the FashEd this morning that the line is about to become a whole lot more accessible, with lower prices so more people can get a slice of the action from Lulu's brood. Just the right time then to fall in love with this very elegant palm print dress with the most awesome raffia bow.

Maarten Van de Horst, one of the Fashion East designers

Cartoony fun from the Lulu & co label

Togue in cheek elegant by Lulu and co.

Raffia Bow

3. MATCHES- ANCIENT GREEK SANDALS

As you may know from the FashEd's summertime blogging, she is one of Greece's biggest fans so it's a shock she didn't actually walk out of Matches in a pair of these Ancient Greek Sandals.

Matches told us: 'The Designer behind AGS, Christina studied shoe design at the prestigious Cordwainers College in London and then moved to Paris where she designed shoes for Iris, Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga. Taking her clue from the classic Greek sandals, which have existed since ancient times she works with respect to that heritage, adding a more personal and playful interpretation, which give the collection a fresh and contemporary appeal'

We have a sneaky feeling you'll be hearing a lot more about Ancient Greek Sandals. I love the fun references to Greek mythology in the wing details.

BRITAIN'S FASHIONISTAS ARE WEARING... PYJAMAS

2011-11-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Ben Whishaw as Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisted

Here at FEAL, we don't usually say too much about menswear. But when John Lewis told us that their sales of 'dapper robes' were up by 91% in the men's department, our ears pricked up.I thought it was only girls who watched Downton Abbey, but John Lewis seem sure that the rise is a result of men wanting to emulate Lord Grantham's stately bedroom attire. Are the men of Great Britain going home and pretending to be turn-of-the century aristocrats? I certainly haven't seen any evidence of them wearing their new robes out and about, have you?

As Lord Grantham gets a bit too close to maid Jane, we get a good peek of his bedroom robe (image from itv/ mirror.co.uk)

Oscar Wilde posing in his smoking jacket (image from thisislondon.com)

I don't think Downton is where it all began though; I've been slightly obsessed with the 1981 series of Brideshead Revisited for years now and I studied Oscar Wilde at university. Recently, I've seen all these used as references for various microtrends such as the pyjama suit and the dandy slipper. Penelope Chilvers has even launched a bespoke service which lets you design your very own Dandy slipper.

It doesn't get more Dandy than Ralph Lauren's purple tasseled slippers

This pyjama/slipper combination feels luxurious and exotic- see the above still from the 2008 film version of Brideshead Revisited which is all about a louche and priviliged life where one really can recline in pyjamas all day long. This is why I think there's more to this than wanting to be like Downton's main man. Although, as we're talking about John Lewis here, perhaps this is more of an older man buying into the Lord of the Manor lifestyle represented by Hugh Bonneville's Lord Grantham. Although he's loveable in his own way, he doesn't have that foppish air of extravagance and wealth which Oscar Wilde and Sebastian Flyte possess.

JW Anderson AW11 - Francesca Burns & Emma Elwick of British Vogue both have this pyjama suit by Jonathan Anderson, and have even been seen wearing them together

Louis Vuitton Resort 2012. You can buy this from November 21st. Top £700 and trousers £550

For us girls, pyjamas are a trend which is going to get hard to avoid. John Lewis say that we're already coming round to it, with sales of the 'luxurious nightwear' up by more than 200%. But it's the crossover to seeing pyjamas as daywear options which is really telling. J.W Anderson has already done some highly lustworthy day time paisley pyjamas for AW11. The Great Gatsby inspired Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs' collaboration for Louis Vuitton's Resort 2012. Once the SS12 shows came around, barely a show went by without some evidence of gentleman's silks and easy pyjama suits; Equipment's will be amazing (aforementioned on this blog). The High Street has already been offering mannish silky shirts and, in some cases, matching silky pyjama bottoms and palazzo pants. By next spring this will be a huge fashion thang, so you may as well be ahead of the curve and get into it now. So while all the boys are hiding inside, playing at being Dukes and Lords, it seems inevitable that the ladies will be out and about showing off their take on pyjamas as fashionable daywear.

Alexa Chung has included a pyjama suit in her new and rather good collection for American brand Madewell. Alexa's dandy silk Valentine pyjama is dotted with palm tree silhouettes; a New York Post writer was so enamoured of them,she wore them for a day out in Manhattan and wrote about it.

Chloe blouse, £600, Net-a-Porter.com

Alexa Chung for Madewell pyjama pants $200

Derek Rose, purveyors of luxury pyjamas, have a few styles which could work well as daywear options...

Very Art Deco- the Leila Blue£109.99

Modern Paisley- the Nelson Silver £109.99

NOW FOR SS12

Stella McCartney's paisley pyjama for SS12

Close up of Stella McCartney paisley

Close up of Stella Mccartney foulard silk, the main motif of her collection

Paul Smith SS12

J. W Anderson's paisley suit for SS12

Photos: Fashion Editor at Large, catwalking.com

HELLO WES GORDON FROM NYC!

2011-11-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Apologies for the radio silence yesterday. The Fashion Junior at Large was having a catch up day off after working several weekends over Fashion Month. I was at Grazia, and upon arrival home, instead of blogging the below story as intended, it dawned on me that we were one week into November already and set about doing the dreaded but necessary admin required when one has a business, a full time member of staff, tax, VAT and all that annoying jazz. Now my To Do list has been tamed, I bring you a new designer name to know.

Meet 25 year old fashion designer Wes Gordon from New York City by way of Atlanta Georgia. I haven't met a young designer like him in a long time. There is a professional assuredness and silky charm about Wes that harks back, I imagine, to Paris in the early 1950s when male fashion designers wore tailored suits for work, called their lady clients Ma'am and were as smooth and smiley as an A-List actor when hosting their trunk shows.

Wes, sans jacket, but in perfectly pressed trousers and a box fresh Gucci shirt, with his Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

This makes sense when you hear him speak about his personal mentors Oscar de la Renta and Tom Ford, and definitely DOESN'T make sense when you hear he trained at Saint Martins. However I definitely put his preternatural confidence down to the combination of his Southern charm and an expensive private education (he attended the swank Lovett Preparatory school). His story is total manna from heaven for American editors and buyers, who, of course, love him. SAKS bought his very first collection in February 2010.

Wes came to London a couple of weeks ago and hosted an editors lunch in the private dining area of The Wolseley, organised by the Finch & Partners agency.

Wes Gordon SS12

I reckon it takes balls to tell your parents that "no, even though you want me to be an investment banker, I want to follow a career into fashion and become a designer." Still, they clearly handled it well, enabling Wes to put his career plans into play. "After doing calculus and school homework I would attend the local art institute to develop my drawing and build a folio for Saint Martins," he says. "My mother also helped me get a placement at Oscar de la Renta."

Wes Gordon's cotton Guipure lace evening jacket

Ah yes, Oscar. He interned there each summer between 2008-2010. Wes loved his time there. "Working with Mr de la Renta was truly inspirational. The atmosphere was so couture. House models wandering around...rolls of couture fabric...," he tails off, lost in the memory which certainly has a Disneyish whiff of The Princess Diaries about it. "Mr de la Renta always wore a suit for work, so I began to wear a suit to work too. After that I was at this side, holding his pins, assisting him. It was a huge privilege."

If you are beginning to form the notion that Wes Gordon clothes are for a certain kind of rich society lady about town, then you would be partly right. The cotton Guipure evening shrug, aka "Porcelain Embroidered Guipure Lace Sculpted Peplum Top" above, (his capitals) is in place, retail price $4000. The ballroom skirt (below) is also there, or rather the "Prussian Blue with Bone Stripe Organdy Gathered Maxi Skirt."

Indeed much of the perfectly cut, and expensively produced 30 look collection for next season comprises the sort of sparely cut cocktail dresses, generously puffed skirtss and exquisite evening tailoring - think matt sequins, silk linen, silk organza and oddles of python skin - that are ideal for the round of gala benefits.

However that lady is no frump and she knows fashion. She wears her skirts and trousers high on the waist, and is not averse to a pair of python skin short shorts, or a sheer navy blouse with a leather collar. So, yes while Wes Gordon does lady clothes, this lady could be 20, or 50 and knows hipster style, even if she might not wear it. "I guess my main market is 35 to 50" says Wes, "but her daughter is definitely into my clothes. I sell uptown at Saks Fifth Avenue and downtown at Kirna Zabete in New York."

A Wes Gordon silk and sequin modern prom skirt. aka "Black/White Jacquard Stripe Tweed Drop Waist Pleasted Skirt wioth Degrade Embroidery"

"This is exactly the sort of piece both a chic lady about town or her daughter could wear," says Wes of the skirt above. He is right. I like the way it smooths the waist and hip line before flaring into the pleats. As I said at the start of this post Wes is an anomaly of old-school charm housed in a modern, mannered young man who is comfortable with cool, but who turns it into something palatable for the ladies. His clothes reflect old school for the new school, ticking the boxes for what is acceptable in high society. Looking at what an excellent start he has made, and the single mindedness with which he has achieved his goals to date I have a feeling he might just be around as long as Oscar de la Renta...

Catwalk Images: style.com

Images: Fashion Editor at Large

http://www.wesgordon.com/

THE WEEK IN FASHION: OCTOBER 31st- NOVEMBER 4th

2011-11-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Another week has gone by in the wonderful world of fashion, so here are all the stories which have caught our eye this weeek...

Tate Liverpool's Alice in Wonderland exhibition begins today and that theme seems to fit in perfectly with some of SS12's whimsical, back to childhood themes- think Christopher Kane's flower sticker coats and Meadham Kirchhoff's sugar sweet homage to girlishness. But it seems that the exhibition offers a truly in-depth look at all the aspects of Alice's Adventures which have caused so much debate for so many years- What were Carroll's true motives? How are we to read into certain elements of the plot? If we happen to be anywhere up North before 29th January then we will definitely be dropping in for a look around. If you manage to go, do let us know how it was for you.

Alice Pleasance Liddell, the little girl said to have inspired Carrol's book. This is a picture he took in 1859, from amadelio.org

The story of the House of Fabergé is inextricably linked with the History of Europe. In 1917, Peter Carl Fabergé and his family were forced to abandon their business to flee from the Bolshevik uprising. In the ensuing events, they lost the rights to use the name upon which they had built their fortune, creating bejewelled eggs for some of the most prestgious families in Europe and Russia. However in October 2007, the House and the family were reunited once more. They are now making jewellery which heavily references the classic Fabergé with its incredible detail and use of the most intricate of techniques. Now, Mario Testino has worked alongside Carine Roitfeld, producer Camilla Johnson-Hill and Fabergé's Creative Director Katharina Flohr to create the house's first advertising campaign. Essentially, this is the tale of the most old school of brands reinventing itself for today. We might think of Fabergéas something we would see in a mueseum or a book, but maybe we should be prepared for those preconceptions to be thwarted. Their model is Bee Gee- I had to read that detail several times, I was thinking that I was about to see Maurice Gibb in an egg pendant- who apprently encompasses the Russia/ Europe relationship which Fabergé wants to enhance. If they have the Carine/ Mario power team on board, they could hardly fail, could they?

Bee Gee, decked out in jewels befitting of a Russian Grand Duchess, or Oligarch's wife

The BFC showrooms have continued their world tour, which have so far seen British designers exhibiting their SS12 colllections in Paris, LA and New York, in Hong Kong this week. They received a warm welcome from the Chinese fashion industry with Angelica Cheung, Editor of Vogue China, hosting a tea for them. Lane Crawford, one of Hong Kong's biggest department stores, also put on an in-store event followed by a big party in Victoria Harbour. All this seems proof that everywhere in the world right now, there is a buzz about British desingers and the BFC is doing a very good job of capitalising on that. Louise Gray told Vogue "It was great - I got some brilliant new stockists over there"- job done.

We can see why Louise Gray went down a treat in Hong Kong (image from Vogue.co.uk)

We're feeling an all-new Manolo moment coming on, so the news that Blahnik is to receive the first ever lifetime achievement award at the 25th Footwear News Achievement Awards makes perfect sense. When he won Designer of the Year in the same ceremony in 1992, he said '“I do what I do and that’s it. It’s nice I make people happy. If I only do that in my life, it’s great, even if it is only a stupid pair of pumps.” Excellent news then, that Manolo will be recognised for his success in maintaining that exact aim- we take our Mary Janes off to you, Mr Blahnik!

Manolo looking extremely dapper (image from vogue.it)

Never ones to pass up the opportunity to devour anything Chanel related, we are very excited about Karl Lagerfeld's forthcoming book which pays tribute to the Chanel tweed jacket. Carine Roitfeld has styled some of the world's best known women in the piece to celebrate the timeless quality which Coco captured back in 1926 (when her first tweed jacket was produced). Lagerfeld commented that "Transformation is the secret of survival, but never change."; a cryptic, seemingly nonsensical utterance which actually seems to make perfect sense when applied to this little bit of fashion history.

Saskia de Brauw in her Chanel tweed (image from Telegraph.co.uk/ V Magazine)

After leaving British Vogue this Summer, it was unclear what exactly Robin Derrick's next move could be. Well, it seems that Glenda Bailey, Editor of US Harper's Bazaar has enlisted him to help revive the title she has edited for the past ten years. We're all aware that the publishing industry is a tough place to be right now and it seems that Harper's is at the coal face, having seen 4.1% decrease in the number of ad pages being bought over the past year. So it makes perfect sense that Derrick be drafted in from a title which is doing pretty well at defying the decline.

Robin, back when he was Vogue through and through (image from vogue.co.uk)

Just as we've got through the SS12 shows, we are reminded once again of the Resort collections as the campaigns are revealed. I completely loved Vuitton's Resort collection (which was done in collaboration with Sofia Coppola) but I do find the campaign a bit disappointing. Although it's NICE it could have been AMAZING given the strong Gatsby/ thirties pyjama influences of the collection. The confusion over what a Resort collection actually is shows too. At Chanel and Prada, the models look like they're off to a Christmas party, while at Gucci and Vuitton it's High Summer, confused much?! In general, these images don't feel quite as exciting as those we see for the main collections, but that's just the spoilt fashion brat in me speaking- we can't have it all, can we?

A thirties look for Saskia de Brauw at Chanel

Karmen Pedaru for Gucci

Arizona Muse for Louis Vuitton

Why have one purse, when you can have six? Lea Seydoux/ Prada

OP ED: HYPOCRITE CHIC?

2011-11-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

The protesters of OCCUPY London have been causing quite a stir since they set up camp in Paternoster Square, outside St. Paul's cathedral a few weeks ago. I must say that as a fashion journalist, I didn't really think there would be anything to report on, style wise, from the fracas. After all, from what I can gather, these people are broadly anti-capitalist, given that they claim our 'current system is undemocratic and unjust' and that would suggest to me that any kind of fashion story would involve the sandals and dreadlocks to be spotted out on the Square. That's just me stereotyping though.

So, I was somewhat surprised to open Monday's Evening Standard and find one of these ardent supporters of OCCUPY, Lucy McKay (aka Lucy Brisbane, apparently) modelling the latest peace sign leggings from Topshop topped with a peace sign sweater. The headline reads 'Radical Chic' and discusses all the coolest protest-appropriate fashion options.Now, if you are protesting about the inequalities which the current system operates under then I would imagine that one of your first priorities would be to not wear Topshop, given all the tax avoidance accusations regularly pointed at Phillip Green, who is surely the ultimate capitalist?

Amongst the comments beneath the article online, one person writes 'Lucy, you are wearing Topshop. Where are your morals?'. In a weak retaliation to her critics, Lucy says 'It's a fluffy fashion piece'. Is she trying to say that we can separate our fashion preferences from our political beliefs? That's an easy thing to do, but not something you might expect from a member of such a stalwart group of a few hundred who claim to be representing the best interests of 99% of us. It may have been somewhat more understandable if Lucy had modelled some fabulous ethical fashion, made in conditions which adhere to the changes she is campaigning for.

By calling it 'fluffy fashion' Lucy hugely undermines her raison d'etre at OCCUPY London. These days the clothes we choose to wear represent a belief system. So, in the same breath as protesting against capitalism, she is personally encouraging it (and financing it) with her choice of clothes. Someone bring her a sack.

Dame Westwood is well know for her passionate views, but does she put them before her business interests? (image from elleuk.com)

After this, I noticed that Dame Vivienne Westwood had visited the St Paul's camp to show her support. I do admire Dame Vivienne, and a lot of what she says is certainly thought provoking. But I couldn't fail to notice that she'd just got off a plane from China where she had been to launch her new shops over there. Basically, one day she was doing what every savvy business owner is doing right now, ensuring they are tapping into the vast potential of a Chinese customer base, thus growing their own business and increasing their own revenues; the next she is showing solidarity with the very people who are campaigning for a change to that very system.

I don't proclaim to be any sort of expert on any of these matters; I am very interested in politics and am concerned about our current economic woes which often seem incomprehensibly profound and far-reaching. So I have certain sympathies with what OCCUPY seems to stand for, although nobody seems to be completely clear on exactly what that is. I am also seduced by fashion on a daily basis but know that there is a lot wrong with where we get our clothes from. Living an OCCUPY version of life is hard to envisage, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't involve wearing Topshop or big business expansions. Lucy and Dame Vivienne are doing the cause they are allegedly supporting no favours whatsoever.

HERE IS THE OCCUPY LONDON MANIFESTO

'Occupy London stands together with occupations all over the world; we are the 99%. We are a peaceful non-hierarchical forum. We're in agreement that the current system is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives; you are invited to join us in debate and developing them; to create a better future for everyone'

GRAZIA: SHOPPER BAG MAD

2011-11-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Shoppers, Shoppers EVERYWHERE (IMAGE streetpeeper.com)

In this week's Grazia, we take a look at the Shopper bag madness gripping the nation- we can barely walk ten paces without seeing another take on the super-practical bag of the moment, even if it's name is rather ironic given the current economic panic gripping Europe. After we went to press, we saw a tonne more we would have loved to include. As you can see, there is one for pretty much every mood, style and budget....

Marc by Marc Jacobs £60


A.P.C £335

Denham £170

The ultimate purveyor of the shopper (and the one who began the whole thing) is Celine. While the first Celine version may have been super sleek and black, now they are branching out with bright colours and, dare we say this in association with anything Phoebe Philo, FUN textures, as demonstrated in the brown carpet-y version below.


The Celine Cabas £1,880


The Celine Cabas £1,880

Topshop can always be relied upon to bring us many a version of a trend; in the past week they have had a big drop of all kinds of shopper styles which are a little more justifiable than a Celine blow-out. I love the autumnal colourways of the two below,perfect for merrily swinging as you crunch your way through the leaves underfoot.


Topshop £46

Topshop £32

GRAZIA IS OUT NOW!

A MCQUEEN-Y HALLOWEEN

2011-11-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

It may be 24 hours after the main event, but this video puts a whole new spin on the now quite ubiquitous and much copied McQueen skull scarf. Babette Pauthier's creation takes the iconic accessory right back to its deepest, darkest roots. Prepare for a shiver down your spine and a renewed need for a silky piece of classic Lee McQueen design.

POP: PETER COPPING TALKS TO FASHED

2011-11-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Among the FashEd's many guises is her role as Contributing Fashion Features Editor at POP. For the new Autumn/Winter issue, the theme was The Lady. So, it was only right that Peter Copping, Creative Director at Nina Ricci be featured, given that his collections are the epitome of ladylike prettiness. My first job as Fashion Junior was transcribing this interview, strange that such a highlight could come before I'd even made my desk my own. In my humble opinion, you cannot fail to fall in love with Copping after reading this...

Portrait of Peter Copping by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

Photography by Ronald Dick, Fashion by Isabelle Kountoure

POP is out now

DEAR SANTA... CAN I PLEASE HAVE A CHANEL, PRADA & MIU MIU CHRISTMAS?

2011-10-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

So there might be Christmas lights going up and endless 3 for 2 offers on wrapping paper but we prefer to focus on the finer aspects of the impending festive season, namely what we dream of finding tucked under the tree on Christmas morning. But do we really dream anymore? Once you're past the age of 11, does Christmas become just a list of things to buy and do? Well, not if some of the Best Fashion Brands in the World have their way.

David Sims for Miu Miu Resort with Guinevere Van Seenus, one of the worlds best models.

Chanel, Prada and Miu Miu mostly trade on the fact that, for most people, they represent an escape from the reality of the day-to-day; I know the moment I pull on my one item of Chanel (some two-tone tights with the double C logo at the ankle) I feel lifted away like Wendy flying off to Never-Never land with Peter Pan. This is pretty much the same feeling I had opening my shiny new bike or Baby Born Doll (Ballerina Sindy in FashEd's experience). We may all be used to ooh-ing and aah-ing each February and September at the catwalk shows (just like I did at Toys'R'Us in my younger years) but these savvy brands know that this is just the door to the Narnia of our imaginations. Once they've sown the seeds of desire, irresistible Christmas collections land in our inboxes and they know that this is the route to making Christmas just as full of anticipation and delight as back in those childhood dolly-loving days.

The selection below will cater to the woman and the girl in all of you. Crucially, each and every item shown is a classic which embodies the brand which has lovingly crafted it to give us a lifetime of satisfaction and a squeal of delight come December 25th.

An Under The Sea cuff

The Chanel Camellia- this could just as easily be from 1960 as it is from 2011. The heather shade is a wintry update
on the usual white.

I have a bit of a thing for pearl earrings- I like to think I wear them in a sort of ironic, eighties sloane ranger sort of way but it is quite likely that I don't really pull that off! Nevertheless, I cannot think of a more perfect combination than my beloved pearls, with that interlocked C Chanel logo hovering above as an explicit indicator of their provenance.

My friends and I have been unbelivably organised about our NYE plans this year. We are off to a Prohibition Party- this necessitates a full-on twenties flapper extravaganza in the wardrobe department. Thus, the shoes below are quite possibly the perfect starting point with their jewels and delicate T-bar. This image is going straight onto the mood board for my look and if I happen to come into a fortune between now and NYE then these will be mine!

All the above available in Chanel boutiques from November/December +44 207 493 5040
CHANEL.COM

The Miu Miu seletion has a more fun element than the Chanel but then that's what the Prada's little sister is all about isn't it? All these jewels look like they're from a little rich girl's version of Claire's Accessories- in a really good way!

Miu Miu £295, available from November

Miu Miu £150, available from November

The pearls and gems are a bit Queen meets Little Princess...

Do Miu Miu do Christmas Crackers? Can this fall out of one please?
£395, available from November

Note to anyone who knows me ;) £395, available from November

We'll be needing this to carry about all our jewels and trinkets. I just really hope Tom Cruise doesn't buy up the entire stock for Suri...

Miu Miu £750, available from November

Even though Miuccia might like to have us think that Prada is all grown- up and ladylike, she has been messing with that very notion for some time now. Last season's banana motif and the flaming car for SS12 show that there is a very childish element to be enjoyed by a Prada woman. The Christmas collection only enhances that philosophy, mixing up modern essentials like leather iPad cases and purses with quirky key rings which could almost be stocking fillers bought in Hamley's. This means the adult in us can justify the usefulness of the gift, while the little kid will just want to play at attaching the key ring to everything all Christmas day long (and beyond), win/win....

Happy Face Butterfly
All Prada and Miu Miu items range from £195-£990, available from November

Ahhhhhhh! Pengy.
All Prada and Miu Miu items range from £195-£990, available from November

Its Bichon Prada!
All Prada and Miu Miu items range from £195-£990, available from November

This furry purse hints at the fraggle rock puppet fun fur theme from AW11...

Fraggle Wallet
All Prada and Miu Miu items range from £195-£990, available from November

YUUUUUUUUUUUMMMYY!

All images courtesy of Prada, Miu Miu & Chanel

THE WEEK IN FASHION: 24TH- 28TH OCT

2011-10-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Hello Friday Fashion lovers. Welcome once again to your end of week fashion news round-up...

First up, our immaculately placed sources tell us that Marc Jacobs will CATEGORICALLY not be taking the vacant role at Dior, despite all the hype pointing to his imminent appointment. I'm afraid we can't shed much light on who it will be but the FashEd is thinking that it may end up being a complete surprise, somebody we've hardly heard of before. Quite frankly, I wish they'd just hurry up and tell us- the suspense is too much.

Marc with Kate Moss after Louis Vuitton SS12 (Image from Vogue.fr)

In other Marc related news, this week he has been appointed a member of the CFDA board- the panel which represents the American fashion industry and exerts influence in all areas of the fashion world. It seems baffling that after many years at the top of his game, designing for his two eponymous labels as well as Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs has only just been admitted onto the panel. Proenza Schouler duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez also took up their places.

The Proenza boys (Image from www.thegloss.com)

Golly jeeps, I'll stop going on about anything Marc related in a mo, I promise. However our third bit of news is the rumoured development of Louis Vuitton's first perfume. WWD reported that Jacques Cavallier- Belletrud, whose family are long time perfumers from Grasse, the home of fragrance making, will begin concocting something in January. That's all we know at the moment. Many of the world's biggest design houses are summed up by their perfumes; Chanel No.5 and YSL Rive Gauche are just two which spring to mind. Thus if this perfume comes off, it will be an echo of Louis Vuitton's identity, rather than part of it.

Sacks of rose petals used to make Chanel No.5, in Grasse (Image from graziadaily.co.uk)

My Monday was greatly brightened by the news that King Karl Lagerfeld is launching a new and very affordable line of clothing. Prices will start at just 60 euros in the 100 piece collection which will be available from 25th January at Net-a-Porter. According to those in the know, Saskia de Brauw stars in the lookbook; highlights include a backless black dress and silver jeans as well as Karl's own personal favourite fingerless gloves.It seems the venture is mostly down to Pier Paolo Righi who heads up the Karl Lagerfeld brand. His philosophy? It would be stupid not to build on the 100 million euro plus which Lagerfeld already generates. Business sense for them, fashion joy for us!

Karl Lagerfeld with Pier Paolo Righi

After her wedding dress was heavily referenced by the Duchess of Cambridge back in April, my obsession with Princess Grace of Monaco A.K.A Grace Kelly hit an all time high. Wonderful timing then for a film about a six month period of her life with Prince Rainier of Monaco when she played a central role is abating tensions with France. After much wrangling, the script by Arah Amelhaving will now be produced by Pierre Ange Le Pogam. I should imagine that Princess Grace would be a dream character to play for any actress. My personal picks would be January Jones, whose Mad Men character Betty Draper has consistently been compared to Princess Grace, or Rosamund Pike who can flit between icy and warm with immense talent. Both have the look to do justice to a woman who is oft called one of the most beautiful ever. Now, who will design the costumes?

Grace Kelly (image from easyart.com)

January Jones as Betty Draper in Mad Men, with Don (Image from confessionsofahighbrow.com)

In an interview with WWD today, Raf Simons explains how he took the Jil Sander brand and made it his own by going beyond the parameters which the label had previously worked within:

'I started with the idea of being inspired by everything that I thought was not allowed in the brand Jil Sander — other cultures, another time, another moment in history,” Simons recalled. “It was very naked, very exposed — at least for the Jil Sander brand. That [2009] show was very well received. When I saw that it started to work, and the followers of the brand were open to it and we also got a new customer in, I thought it was the moment to start exploring a new form of language.'

A 20s inspired dress from Simons' Spring 2009 collection for Jil Sander (Image from catwalking.com)

These comments are fascinating in the context of all the SS12 geeking that the FashEd and I have been doing. We've noticed that some our favourite collections have taken reference from a bygone era but made that reference look incredibly modern and right for now. Take a look at the drop waist dresses at Theysken's Theory or Preen's Virginia Woolf influences (which I blogged about during LFW) to see what I mean.

Raf Simons (from culturesinbetween.net)

Finally, this film from Nowness.com is such a treat for anybody who loves fashion- so I assume that's all of you! Cathy Horyn from the New York Times talks to Alexander McQueen Creative Director Sarah Burton. We hear about the fashion industry from their perspective and how McQueen faithfully retains its aesthetic from season to season, apparently eschewing trends, or a desire to set them. I remember watching Sarah Burton explain the royal wedding dress and I could listen to her going through intricate details and elements of artisanship for hours on end such is the depth of her knowledge and the passion with which she narrates it.The film itself also zooms through pieces from the SS12 collection so you can sort of say you've been inside a McQueen gown. If I haven't sold it to you by now then please just watch it!

Diving for McQueen on Nowness.com.

HELLO TOPSHOP SS12!

2011-10-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

A panoramic of TopShop's silky scarf print bombers and lingerie looks for next season

The amazing prototype of Mary Katrantzou's first TopShop dress collection. How alike is this to her runway version?? It will retail for £350.

Pretty pastel and leather sporty mesh for TopShop SS12 shoes

Its been a long day attending press days all over London and meeting deadlines. I've got two Grazia stories running next week, so the proofs had to be triple checked, and we're also brainstorming for the next issue of POP. So here I am at 8.19pm still at my desk eating rubbery cashew nuts because I am starving.

The TopShop press day today was held at the Rebecca Hossack gallery just off Fitzroy Square in London. It was the first time ever the brand has broken away from showing with the rest of Arcadia Group with a solo presentation. Their way of asserting their fashion brand status, I guess. Topshop was, afterall, the most tweeted about label during London Fashion Week after Burberry. It was a street-chic showing - all very Versace and 90s Sportwear, and the first of ex Vogue Senior Fashion Editor Kate Phelan in her new role as Creative Direector.

I expected Salt n Pepa "Push It" to bust out of the speakers while I mosied my way through the silky bomber jackets, pastel pink jeans and silver Y-back tanks but got Neneh Cherry "Manchild" instead. British fashion is having a major 90s moment at street level. I'm not sure who to blame for this, though I'm beginning to suspect Ayishat and Louize (Cher Lloyd's stylists) will be all over this range like a rash. What I saw available at TopShop was so very 90s took me back to my schooldays of wearing hoodies, high-tops and pastel yellow jeans. #Nostalgia

Oh and one more thing: last week I raised the issue of whether we could/should wear hi-top wedge trainers, and suggested the high-street got on the job because the Isabel Marant Bekket has sold out gllobally, and lookie here at what Toppers has in store for us...Great minds, hey?

from my Twitter feed @fashedatlarge

All photos: Fashion Editor at Large

PAISLEY, FLORALS...WHAT WE DID TODAY....

2011-10-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

It's all go here at FEAL towers but fear not, we haven't forgotten you dear readers. It may be short and sweet but we wanted to share some rather awesome prints we saw today at Jonathan Saunders and Stella McCartney. Suddenly all the work we're doing on the trends for SS12 seems to have come to life and we can actually imagine wearing them- or dream of it, more realistically, in the case of Saunders and Stella.

At Jonathan Saunders

The indescribably divine Jonathan Saunders, with models

At Stella...

I thought I could never love a nude shoe...

DONATELLA SAYS...

2011-10-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

In the new Ponystep (OUT NOW) the FashEd has interviewed Donatella Versace. As you would expect, there are some gems in there. Here's the full spread for you straight from the beautifully designed Ponystep pages...

And here's the lady herself, explaining her upcoming H&M collaboration...

BORA AKSU X ARMAGGAN

2011-10-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large (back from Istanbul)

Bora Aksu for Armaggan

Bora Aksu is, by today's standards, a fashion designer with a difference. He is described as having a demi-couture aesthetic which he faithfully maintains, ensuring each project he participates in will not compromise these ideals. He is also very shy and could barely look at the applauding audience as he took his bow after the catwalk show launching his new collaboration with luxury Turkish store Armaggan on Thursday night.

The Armaggan Nuruosmaniye store

Bora (image kindly provided by David from the BFC after Fashion Junior's went AWOL)

Post-show, Bora and his delightful Mauritian wife, Fella, took time to chat to us UK journos who were completely oblivious to the apparent buzz of Turkish celebrity around us at the glitzy drinks event. There were no airs and graces; Bora and Fella both remembered to jibe me several times for my delay arriving in Istanbul (for reasons which will only bore you). Fella also told me how she and Bora were friends for six years before they finally got together and then married ten years ago. Fella now manages the business side of Bora Aksu. I'm sure they won't mind me saying that although Bora is a show to see at LFW, he doesn't make front-page news. Having grown up in Turkey (before moving to London to study at Central Saint Martins), he is their prize design export and everyone wants to know what Bora is doing meaning that his show pictures will grace the front of all the papers!

Bora Aksu's collection employed the expertise which Armaggan's laboratory is famed for, so the pieces are made using traditional embroidery and weaving techniques, along with the purest silks and wools.

The collaboration with Armaggan is not Bora's first; he also works with Anthropologie in America. This is no H and M style, mass market pair-up though. Only two pieces of each design from the 40 piece collection will be made, making it even more exclusive that Bora's main line. In my post from Istanbul the other day, I alluded to the mix of old and new which is a central part of Armaggan's philosophy. But there is a lot more to it than that; this is not a place to search out a bargain. Every item is so lovingly designed and crafted, usually in the store's own laboratory, that prices rarely go below a few hundred dollars. One yellow sapphire ring on display was $33,000. There are several floors where furniture, art, jewellery and handicraft are displayed as if in a galllery- for most browsers that's what it is I suppose. On a tour of the store before the Bora Aksu unveiling, we were shown the traditional Turkish intricate silk crochet-like pieces which are sold as necklaces or appliqued onto dresses, scarves and handkerchiefs.

It was quite baffling to imagine that this is all done completely by hand and one mistake means starting all over again. Cherie Blair has visited the store several times and among her purchases were three of these dresses, I can't think who for but then perhaps she is of the school of thought that that they are far too precious to actually wear!

In Bora's collection, it was clear to see that he had worked closely with Armaggan (he's been commuting back and forth every week between London and Istanbul for months) to maintain these traditional techniques while also blending in strong military- like shapes through the coats and capes which remind me of an Ottoman warrior. But there was also the easy, jazz age allusion of the loose, drop waist dresses which gave the collection its essential modernity. Should you be in Istanbul, Armaggan would make a fascinating stop-off and after December 15th you will be able to see Bora Aksu's collection for yourself. Thank you Bora, Fella, Armaggan and the delightful Antony for a wonderful trip to Istanbul.

From left to right: Fashion Junior a.k.a Bethan Holt, Jayne from WGSN, Liz from the Daily Mail, David from the BFC and Lucy from Red.

All images, unless otherwise indicated, by Fashion Junior at Large.

THE WEEK IN FASHION: OCTOBER 17th-21st

2011-10-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Welcome to another week of news from the fashion world, brought to you by FEAL. Happy Weekend!

I'm going to start this week's news on a sort of business-y note as I've been a bit perplexed by a lot of the big money news which seems to have emerged over the past few days, despite the doom and gloom of the financial pages. I'm no economic whizz kid but I do find it baffling that while Europe is apparently in deep crisis, spending at the Frieze art fair was brisk and Marc Quinn's statue of Kate Moss in a rather tangled yoga pose was snapped up for a mere £577,250 at a Sotheby's sale; the lucky owner is apparently a private individual from Europe, lucky them!

Marc Quinn's 'Microcosmos' (Image from Vogue.co.uk)

A couple of big fashion houses have posted massive profits this week as well, and not just due to expansion in the East. This week LVMH and Dior both reported rises of around 15%. Of course, Asia is where the greatest opportunity lies for luxury brands; LVMH saw a 27% increase in the last four months. That said, Europe and the US are not THAT far behind with profits rising by 7% and 18% respectively in those areas. One of the many brands under the LVMH umbrella is Celine, where Phoebe Philo is still being lauded for her game changing collections; results were said to have been 'remarkable' there, perhaps showing that it is not just a catwalk phenomenon which Philo has masterminded. It's worth highlighting as well that Dior's lack of solid design direction doesn't seem to have done them much harm at all- clearly perfume and leather goods can ride even the most potent of media storms.

Everyone still wants a bit of Celine, according to LVMH results (Image from FashionGoneRogue.com)

The importance of the Asian market is underlined by the expansion which many brands are currently undertaking. The latest is Vivienne Westwood who opened her first Chinese store in Shanghai earlier this week. Dame Viv is in China to take part in lots of activities promoting the opening including being guest of honour at the opening of Shanghai Fashion Week. Never one to be seen and not heard, she's also promoting her concerns about the environment and sustainability by addressing the 'Can China survive the world green economy?' conference.

Dame Vivienne Westwood at the opening of her new Shanghai shop

Enough of the business chat and on to some excellent images by Steven Meisel for W magazine's annual art issue. He has employed the talents of various stars including Linda Evangelista, Karen Elson, Coco Rocha and Joan Rivers to create fake ads for imagined products dreamed up with a little help from the W team. Among them the predicatable next project of Petra Ecclestone and a retro spin on shampoo promotion. I've included some of the images below and somewhere in there is Anna Dello Russo, can you spot her? Hint: You have NEVER seen her quite like this before.

All images from nymag.com

When I read this next story, it made my skin crawl with its subtly anti-woman undertones. Christian Louboutin has been explaining why he thinks women love shoes so much. He says 'That's why women are happy to wear painful shoes. For some a little discomfort is balanced by something else, which has to do with desire. You feel yourself, empower yourself, know yourself. You are aware of your body. This little act of discomfort pays off in lots of other ways... There is an element of seduction in shoes that doesn't exist for men...The language starts with the shoe and radiates over the whole body. A woman can be sexy, charming, witty or shy with her shoes. Shoes for men are about elegance or wealth; they are not playing with the inner character''

Image from ftape.com

I'll let you make your own mind up about whether there's any element of truth in that account of why we wear heels, and we can't argue against the fact that Louboutin has had an epic effect on what we wear on our feet. In the interests of balance, I thought I'd post an extract from Caitlin Moran's amazing 'How to be a Woman'-
'The unwearability of high heels is self-evidently all around us- coming to a head at the average wedding reception, a uniformly high-heeled occasion. In our minds we see it as an elegant and serene gathering of women in their finest. One of the big chances of the year to pretend you're at the Oscars, in your stilettos. In actuality, of course, it looks like the annual AGM of the Tina Turner Impressionist Union- women staggering around in unaccustomed verticality; foot flesh pouring out over tight, unkind satin, toes going numb for days afterwards''.

Image from telegraph.co.uk

Miu Miu's decision to hire Hailee Steinfeld as the face of their AW11 campaign caused quite a stir with the debate divided between those who thought she was freakishly young and those who thought the images were charming and sweet (and lots in between). So, the Resort campaign starring 34- year old Guinevere Van Seenus represents something of a leap for Miu Miu. Guinevere was chosen by Erdem earlier in the year to model his Resort 2012 collection, inspired by Hitchcock leading ladies. In a matter of months, the Miu Miu woman has doubled in age and transformed from childish slip of a thing to assured lady, quite the genius move or confusing?

Erdem Resort 2012 (Image from fashionologie.com)

In an interview the FashEd did with Donatella Versace a while back, she told us that the Versace for H&M collection would revive lots of the prints which the label was famous for back in the nineties. True to her word, there is a wealth of fabulously flamboyant baroque references in the full lookbook for the collection which we got to see for the first time this week. It's so darn bellisima, bring on November 17th!

Versace for H&M- Image from telegraph.co.uk

Finally, we may not all be able to fork out the £60,000 paid for a Tracey Emin at Frieze but for a mere tenner you can get your hands on Emin engraved soap at Liberty's Beauty Hall. The project is part of Emin's support for Art Against Knives project which she is involved in 'Because I am against people stabbing each other. Full stop'. Each soap comes wrapped in a poem which Emin has composed especially for the collaboration. If you can't make it to Liberty then you can purchase yours here.

FASHION JUNIOR IN ISTANBUL #1

2011-10-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

I'm here in a brilliantly sunny, if chilly, Istanbul as a guest of Turkish born, London based designer Bora Aksu to celebrate his collaboration with Armaggan- a store which kind of sums up what Turkey is really about at the moment; the combination of ancient and modern. Armaggan describes itself as 'masterfully combining original contemporary designs with traditional techniques'. I've only been in the city a few hours but I can already sense that it has evolved in a way which complements the magnificent architecture which is everywhere and embraces the routines of coffee, tea and spices, mosque-going and bazaar browsing. I've just returned from lunch at Pandeli restaurant above the city's Spice Bazaar, a foodie feast. I can hear the call to mosque and I can still smell the strong coffee of the bazaar. Tonight, I'm off to the launch of Bora Aksu's collection, much more about that tomorrow. In the meantime, a taster of the Istanbul I've peeked so far...

Through the windows looking onto the Spice Bazaar at Pandeli

Pandeli's famous blue tiles, there since 1955

Bustle of the Spice Bazaar

Ancient and modern...

Everywhere you turn there is another mosque to drop one's jaw at...

The Bosphorus is bright and twinkling

Fishermen beside my hotel

Islamic tile patterns

I love a horse

Turkish slippers and tiles

Old Istanbul

An aspect of Turkish culture which I'm glad to have learnt more about is the Hamam...

'Long before Turkish tribes swept into Anatolia, they had established healthy bathing traditions. Upon their arrival in Asia Minor, the structure of the Byzantine bathhouse merged with Turkish bathing rituals, and the "hamam" was born. Since then the Turkish bath, originally named "hamam", has been an indispensable symbol of the Turkish culture, inspiring many song writers and poets throughout history'

Everything one needs for a Hamam including the Pesteman (towel) and the Kese (glove made from silk, cotton or goat's hair used to scour the skin)

MY NEW FAVOURITE SONG: FRIENDS - I'M HIS GIRL

2011-10-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Now and again I find myself obsessively re-listening to certain songs, usually because that song resonates with a feeling I can't quite articulate. Thanks to being plugged into 6Music through most of each working day I got to hear I'm His Girl by Friends, a so hipster it hurts group from Brooklyn, about six weeks ago. Until Monday there was no Youtube video to enjoy. Well, ta-da! Now there is, so time to share.

This is so naive and cute, and SO DAMN HIPSTER I love it. It reminds me of me in my early 20s, and also of my favourite young female friends who are out and about living it up generally being young and free.

The lineup: Samantha Urbani (vocals), Lesley Hann (bass, percussion, backing vocals), Nikki Shapiro (guitar, keyboards, percussion), Matthew Molnar (keyboards, percussion, bass), Oliver Duncan (drums).

(via Guardian.co.uk)

They have only recently been signed, we've been told to expect an album in 2012. Woop!

HI-TOPPING (or why you will really, really want these sneakers)

2011-10-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Here at FEAL, we are noticing a change in the tides when it comes to shoes. They're starting to migrate towards being comfortable, wearable and cool, rather than fierce, fetishistic and impossibly uncomfortable. The hi-top trainer with hidden wedge heel is a case in point. Yes I know this is similar in concept to what Tom Cruise wears to disguise his lack of height. Well, we admit it, women want to look taller without wearing heels too. These make our legs look longer, while also making us look like we are wearing flats when we are not. Cool by me. Isabel Marant's fashion badge-of-honour Bekket hi-top wedge sneaker are sold out globally right now, (there are many of us hoping for replenishment). I can't remember a time when I've seen one product so resolutely SOLD OUT. In fact I would go so far as to say the hi-top with hidden wedge is the casual shoe of this moment, and promises to be even hotter for spring 2012...

The Marant Bekkets in Paris (Image from thisisayes.com)

The Bekket's are more New York gangsta than Parisian as they are super chunky with the wedge pretty much hidden. In Paris I lost count of the number of pairs I spotted, and tbh they've been popular since summer 2010, but now they have gone bonkers.

Isabel Marant Bekket hi-top hidden wedge sneakers. No, you can't have a pair.

The Italian company Ash, quite possibly the original purveyors of the style, have got lots of different variations on their Thelma wedge hi-top and a few of the more summery colourways are reduced at the moment. They have also just launched "Birdy" below, which comes in several colours, and is according to their Marylebone branch, selling our fast online and instore. I'm into the Biba style, which they promise is coming in the next couple of weeks

The "Birdy" by Ash. £189. Just in, and IN STOCK!

The Biba by Ash, coming soon... http://www.ashfootwear.co.uk/

If you are willing to wait, however, Marc by Marc Jacobs have a whole range of said sneakers in its Spring collection.

Marc by Marc Jacobs hi-top wedge for SS12, they will come in many colour combinations

TopShop & co I think you need to get on the job immediately. Surely there are some sneakers just like this in your archive? I'm sure I had a pair when I was 14 from C&A Clockhouse that I wore with candystripe legwarmers...

FASHION RANDOMS: I ZIG THEN I ZAG

2011-10-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

A random post for a random but good day. #Random 1. I bought a handbag! The first luxury handbag I have purchased in over three years. I first saw it on Saturday at Browns, and it kept calling to me. It is by Balenciaga and is a twist on my favourite Lariat bag from the mid-noughties. When I bought the original in 2006, it was the most I had ever spent on a handbag in my life. My new one is called the "Work" bag, and is larger in dimension than the original Lariat but has the same proportions. The deciding factor for me (there was much humming and hawwing, this is expensive even with my lucky press discount) was that this specimen does not have the blingy glittery gold studs all over them that the Balenciaga bags of the last few years have been emblazoned with. Also it looks modern yet timeless, the requirement for any really good handbag.

My lovely new Balenciaga from Browns with my stuff in it

#Random 2. I would like to buy this. It was created in a collaboration between Kristin Knox of The Clothes Whisperer blog and Laure Pariente of Americanretro.fr. Though I think I have both items at home and could create my own.

American Retro/Kristin Knox

#Random 3. I'm liking zig-zags as a trend for next spring. I loved this print seen at the Loewe showroom in Paris. And Carven (one of my favourite collections for next season) was a zig-zag moment too.

Loewe's Zig-Zags

Carven's Zig-Zags

COVETING COUVERTURE

2011-10-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

I'm not going to pretend that I am in any way 'typical' of the visitors which you might expect to encounter if you visit Couverture and the Garbstore. For one, I get lost between Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove tube stations but I am also not in possession of a brood of adorable children nor a husband to deposit in the menswear section. However, I wouldn't let any of that put you off paying a visit to the store which is located a stone's throw from The Travel Bookshop which has come to symbolise the heart of the Notting Hill independent shop culture.

Couverture was established by Emily Dyson (daughter of the famous James) back in 1999 and moved from Chelsea to its current location in 2008. The Garbstore is the brainchild of Dyson's husband, Ian Paley, and is a far newer venture which brings a menswear element to Emily's womenswear/ home/ childrenswear concept. I'm told that whole families descend on the three floor space on a Saturday morning and disperse to their respective spaces to hunt out pieces from Emily and Ian's careful edit. Their joint online store launched just six months ago. It must be said though that Emily and Ian work completely separately from one another, with Emily preferring to take her buyer Hayley on sourcing trips around the world. It is by virtue of their complementary tastes that the two businesses sit well together under the same roof.

When I visited the store, I could see its draw for families after something special but personally, I honed in on the products themselves many of which appealed to me despite my falling into quite a different demographic. Over 50% of labels in the store are UK exclusives and none of them are likely to be found in a big department store nor in great quantities online; this means that you are very unlikely to see anyone with the same item elsewhere; unless you live in Notting Hill and invite your neighbour over I suppose, although I'm sure the excellent girls in the shop would ensure that never happened!

Rings by Andy Lifschutz

Given that Emily and Hayley literally scour the world for their selection, it is natural that each brand stocked seems to have that precious 'story' which is so appealing to buy into. One of the best examples is Andy Lifschutz whose jewellery is stocked exclusively in the UK by Couverture. Andy lives in Arkansas in the US and finds pieces of 'raw' quartz which he then transforms from rocks to jagged gems and then, using reclaimed metals, into pieces which range from dramatic to delicate. For jewellery made in such an organic way the prices are rather impressive, starting at £199. We like.

I'm not one to get excited about pants and bras but I was really drawn to the VPL line (brilliant name, no?) which is described as 'anti-underwear'; Victoria's Secret this is not. I could almost see these as bikinis, or for the likes of Rihanna, actual outfits. This brand is already well-known in the US where it is worn by the likes of Gwen Stefani and Tilda Swinton, although it was started by British born Victoria Bartlett. I've been having a look at Bartlett's recent New York show and feel like her sporty aesthetic might have a moment next Summer.

Prices start at £70

VPL SS12- The models in this show look super fit and athletic, not a flimsy little lady in sight.

A Detacher AW11

Mona Kowalska's A Detacher is exactly the kind of label which keeps Couverture's core customer coming back, it has just enough of a trend element to look completely modern but the pieces themselves are hard to pinpoint and not widely available or recognised. The coat above (or one very similar) in navy was top of my 'what I would buy' list when I visited but the printed dropped waist tea dresses were also taking pride of place among the sedate knitwear which dominated the display.


A Detacher AW11- prices from £80-£200

Lastly, the store is currently dotted with these plates from 'Made in Scandinavia'- although they prove that you don't always have to go far afield to source beautiful products, these are made in London, not far from the store by a collective of artists from, er, Scandinavia. Cute. I should also add that that although most items are pretty pricey there are also lots of little bits and bobs which won't break the bank and mean you can bring a piece of Couverture home with you. Also, although the website has a great selection there are lots of different things to be found in-store so try to pop in!

Plates are £35 each

Couverture and The Garbstore is at 188, Kensington Park Road. Call 020 7229 2178

THE WEEK IN FASHION: OCTOBER 10th-14th

2011-10-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

The Week in Fashion is back after its fashion week hiatus - it simply wouldn't have been able to keep up with all the excitement but is now raring to go again, bringing you all you need to know each and every Friday. This week we bring you images from the Frieze Art Fair, gross feet and we congratulate Sarah Mower MBE, recognised for her Services to Fashion.

SARAH MOWER MBE
While Sarah's journalism career is stellar, it was in fact her contribution to the NEWGEN program and role as Ambassador for Emerging Talent that earned her the MBE.It is worth noting Sarah has transformed the global reputation of London Fashion Week since 2004 when she decided as she says "to become a botherer, and get young talented recognised and supported". Young designers who have been talent-spotted and/or nurtured by Sarah almost always go on to great things. See Christopher Kane, Roksanda Ilincic, Erdem, Louise Gray, Holly Fulton, Meadham Kirchhoff, Jonathan Saunders, Richard Nicoll and so on... Onto the party now, hosted by Sarah and the British Fashion Council.

Sarah Mower MBE with Melanie Rickey (aka FashEd). Sarah is wearing a coat made for her by Christopher Kane straight from the runway of his SS12 show

Sarah's MBE (via @_lulukennedy)

Sarah and Chris Kane

Sarah receives her MBE from The Queen at Buckingham Palace (Image from metro.co.uk)

(To see the full set of photographs of the night go here)

Photographs: Christopher James

NOW ONTO FRIEZE ART FAIR...

Leila Lavari from StyleBop.com at Frieze in the Isabel Marant navajo cardigan everybody wants (Image from telegraph.co.uk)

On Wednesday, the Fash Ed and I both visited the Frieze Art Fair at various stages of the day. We came back having enjoyed the art, of course, but also buzzing with the fashion spying opportunities on offer, Rick Owens here, Maison Margiela there, Christopher Kane everywhere. I was very excited to spot Tracey Emin and see some of her latest work. The FashEd attended a brunch hosted by Cos in the Frame section which they sponsor, showcasing the work of up and coming artists. Here a few of her favourite pieces from the exhibit...

We're still getting over Dasha Zhukova's inaugural Garage magazine cover (the Damien Hirst peel away butterfly, lest you forget), and this week the girlfriend of Roman Abramovich has supported her man by wearing a quite beautiful Louis Vuitton outfit for the court battle between her boyfriend and fellow Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky. If the case were judged solely on the fashionableness of the participants' ladies then Abramovich would still be in possession of his £3.2 million right now but as it stands there is a load of legal wrangling to be getting on with.

Dasha arrives at court in Vuitton (image from dailymail.co.uk)

I did bring you the news that this was on the cards, but it has now been officially confirmed that next year's Met exhibit will be a comparison of the work of Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli. To add further creative juices to the mix, Baz Luhrmann will be overseeing the retrospective. The opening gala will be co-hosted by Carey Mulligan who is currently working with Luhrmann on filming for The Great Gatsby. And, by the by, Tiffany will be providing all the jewels for the Gatsby movie. We feel a major fashion moment coming on.

The image which Baz Luhrmann released to announce Carey Mulligan's role as Daisy Buchanan (from deadline.com)

Alexander Wang has been on the peripheries of the fashion who'll-go-where-and-when saga for some time now since his name was thrown into the Dior hat. This week he told WWD:

“I always take a meeting and I always want to hear what people have to offer, but at the same time, I’ve been very content with focusing on our own brand,” he said. Wang said that if he took on an additional design gig, it would have to be something outside his comfort zone.
“If I was to do something else, I would want to do something that would be completely different from me,” he said, adding: “Sometimes you don’t get to say all you want to say in your brand.”

We could fill a book (has someone thought of doing that?!) with all the possibly relevant, yet probably irrelevant, comments we've heard in the past months but you never know.

Wang does his happy end of show bow back in 2010, now there are rumours he's moving beyond his own brand (image from harpersbazaar.com)

You have probably gathered that fashion month plays havoc with the skin, diets and general routines of all those that attend but today we ask you to take a moment to consider the humble feet of fashion show attendees and models alike. In Paris, the dust of the walk to the Tuileries has ruined the heavily invested in shoes of many a blogger/ photographer/ editor. This phenomenon was well documented on twitter, see exhibit A below. Models are no luckier; these shocking pictures of the feet of Sojourner Morrell, who walked in some of the biggest shows of the season from Marc Jacobs to Jonathan Saunders to Louis Vuitton, are one of the most extreme examples of the injuries which walking in sample heels every day for nearly a month can do. Any aspiring models, look away now...

The scourge of 'Tuileires feet' as tweeted by @candicelake

Ouch! (Image from refinery29.com)

Finally, much love for the new Sir Paul and Lady McCartney a.k.a Nancy Shevell who had a lovely looking wedding last Sunday. Fashion pundits have already said that the fact that the dress was designed by Paul's daughter Stella is the way we know this one will last; the last time Sir Paul got married, the bride did NOT wear McCartney. Sometimes a dress can speak a thousand words...

The official wedding portrait, captured by Mary McCartney (image from dailymail.co.uk)

FETISH ALERT! WHEN MARC JACOBS MET HOUSE OF HARLOT

2011-10-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Marc Jacobs AW11 with rubber sequin dress by Robin Archer at House of Harlot

Angelina's handcuff clutch (from dailymail.co.uk)

High fashion is all over fetish like a rash. All that rubber, leather and fierce S&M chic is such a sexy visual. Funny thing is, though, despite all of Lady Gaga's efforts at Mugler, I haven't seen a single fashionista who has yet adopted an element of fetish for her wardrobe this season. Have you? OK Angelina Jolie has the handcuff handbag from Louis Vuitton and Jessie J is never knowingly dressed without an element of rubber about her person, but that's about it.

Fleet Ilya by Rankin

HOWEVER that isn't to say fetish should be ignored. The fashion and bondage label Fleet Ilya (above), designed by Ilya Fleet and his wife Resha Sharma create exquisite leather work that takes my breath away, not to mention the Rankin shoot of Sophie + Jethro, from which the above photograph is taken. I will be blogging more about them in the next week.

Fleet Ilya necklace £310

Now, I would like to I to introduce to you what I consider to be the true source of the fetish trend for this season, a company little known outside the fetish world, and one which is on the speed-dial of Marc Jacobs: House of Harlot.

One of my favourite pieces from House of Harlot, the Bella skirt

The first five exits of the Marc Jacobs autumn/fall winter 2011 collection featured rubber pieces all of which were created by House of Harlot, run by Robin Archer, a Saint Martins trained designer in his forties who has been fetish obsessed since he experienced a night at the famous Torture Garden club in the early nineties with his wife and muse Michelle.

“It was pretty hardcore,” says Robin. “Full of straight-up perverts, but there was an element of kinky interest in the world of design, and a group of us went.” For the occasion Robin made himself a top-to-toe coverage rubber outfit with strategic zips; Michelle bought a super-sexy rubber dress to pour her very curvy figure into. This single visit turned the couple into kinky fashion junkies whose aim was to have the best outfits around – and they did. “Michelle was my muse, and I began to make her different outfits for each event," says Robin. They turned up as Kinky Wasps, as the Hussar & Hussee they even created some genius rubber pinstripe suits.

Robin and Michelle in full fetish mode (their picture)

Soon people were asking Robin to create outfits for them and House of Harlot was born. Today it is the go-to design house not just for anyone with a bit of kink in their blood, (they create custom fetish wear as well as rubber fashion essentials) but also global designers who want high fashion rubber clothes. “The first designer who came to us was Thierry Mugler, who said ‘I understand you are the people who make best practise rubber fashion.’ We were like, yesss!” They haven’t looked back since, and have created rubber clothes for Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, House of Holland, Nicole Farhi and, as I was saying, Marc Jacobs.

The best-selling House of Harlot Mabel waist-cincher

I popped to see Robin a few weeks ago at the new House of Harlot store just off Brick Lane so he could tell me all about how the Marc Jacobs collaboration came about. And he told me everything.

FASHION EDITOR AT LARGE: How did Marc Jacobs hear about House of Harlot?
ROBIN ARCHER: "Marc reminded me that he had actually rung me 12 years ago, to ask me whether I could help him make clothes out of rubber. I said "I will make them for you." I didn't even know who he was then, which is pretty unforgivable, I worked exclusively for the fetish world then, creating one-off pieces on commission. But he called me back in 2003 and we began working with him at Louis Vuitton, and we've been collaborating on and off since. The last time we did Louis Vuitton was 2007."

FEAL: How was he to work with?
RA: "He is very easy to work with. He has got easier..it was harder in the old days. Now it is easy and enjoyable."

FEAL: Why would a designer need to come to a rubber specialist, surely one fabric shouldn't confound a world-class designer?
RA: "The rubber world is so small and full of skilled people. We need our own guild really, to protect the secrets. It is so highly specialised, and Marc respects that. We design and make the pieces to his brief, he knows we are the ones the Haute Couture houses deal with. And he knows we will work out complicated things. For the Autumn/Winter 2011 Marc Jacobs show he asked us to create tops, skirts, dresses and a jacket. For the skirts and tops he wanted them covered with rubber sequins that had the look of fish scales. Each skirt in the show took over a day to make.

FEAL: How did the collaboration work?
RA: I was backstage at the show as the specialised dresser for all the rubber pieces. I worked with Marc on each piece before the show. We worked piece by piece, the work was so well received by Marc that our looks were the first five looks on the runway. Considering how much he has to do, he is calm, controlled, organised and collected. Totally great too work with."

FEAL: How many pieces did you do, how long did it take?
RA: "We made a total of 12 individual items for the show, and then when orders came in for Marc Jacobs global network of stores, we created a few dozen skirts at retail for the global market, and for the top we made significantly more. The great thing was I didn't have to alter a single thing from our samples; just a handful of tweaks for the fit. The design process is: we receive sketches, and then we create prototypes. We did that, but next the sketches came with a new addition of rubber sequins on, so we started all over again, working out how to do it by hand. [Every order that comes in online results in the order then being individually handmade by one of Robins team of two designers and two interns.] And then we stuck with it."

FEAL: How was the whole process?
RA: "The great thing about Marc is he knows what he wants, makes decisions, and gets on with it. I was backstage to get the clothes on and off in the right way. Its a hard job, but someone has to do it!! I gifted Marc a transparent royal blue rubber shirt and he wore it backstage and to take his bow, which was really nice. Marc Jacobs wore HOH at his own show." Bless.

Ribbon Bra and Lacedback Knicker set £199

Visit HouseofHarlot.com
Robin Archer also has a new store and design studio at 63-65 Princelet Street, E1.
0207 247 1069

NIKE'S SPORTING FANTASY

2011-10-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Runners have been known to try all kinds of weird and wonderful ways to keep up the motivation. My own favourite method might sound conventional- very loud power music- but when I tell you that I pretend I'm in a film, perhaps running to save the world from disaster, or fleeing from some stereotypical baddies then you may think I'm a bit strange. This is a method which works best in the dark, when you have the chill of the wintry air puffing against your face, unrelenting. It feels quite glamorous but I'm sure the reality is quite different from a bystander's perspective.

These images created for Nike by comic artists Jan Duursema and Amanda Conner pretty much sum up where I am in my mind, as I run through the neat suburban streets of one of England's safest towns. Cartoons are never something I've been very into but I can totally see how the medium works perfectly to create a kind of fantasy image of how a girl might look and feel as she does her workout. Conner even says that she comes up with the characters she creates while she is running and doing karate, helping her to envisage who they are and how they'd move.

The purpose of this series of images is to show how Nike had created winter workout gear which doesn't restrict you but will still keep the cold, wet and wind at bay. As always with Nike, there are lots of super-techy elements which go into the collection but the fantasy figure theme is carried through in names like the legend pant and victory bra. That is a very savvy story to tell which is already adding flourishes to my running daydream.

FROM EDITD: THE BUZZ TO KNOW FROM SS12

2011-10-12T04:44:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Over the past month, we have been completely bombarded by images, tweets, reviews and blog posts from the SS12 shows. We've had a ball, but sometimes you need to pin down what's really important- what do people LOVE? What will we be wearing next season? Which brands are doing the right stuff to get themselves loved? And, most crucially, should I be channelling Little Mermaid or Mr Potato Head next season?

Theyskens' trousers for the city mermaid

We've blogged about our geeky appreciation of Editd before, but their SS12 report has really helped to focus our minds and given us an insight into the reality of next summer's fashion rather than just what has stuck with us because we, personally, love it or hate it. Really you MUST read it. I've extracted a few things which jumped out at me as fascinating/ baffling or any other adjective of great strength.

1. Yves Klein Blue

We noticed the blue, of course. I have also become a bit obsessed with Richard Nicoll's 'Laura Palmer' blue but I am also a big fan of Yves Klein blue which Editd have underlined as the key way blue was done. I'm so glad there are more imaginative names we can apply than dark blue. This hue was featured in 36 shows across all four fashion weeks, a key indicator that you'll be seeing more.

Yves Klein- Blue Monchrome, 1961. Image from moma.org

Diane Von Furstenburg SS12

Stella McCartney SS12

2. Florals

This print hit has been brewing for some time but the fact that it was seen in an astonishing 107 collections means we'll be flooded in flowers of all shapes, sizes and mainfestations next year. In my opinion it was London designers who pushed the boundaries here, taking quite a standard feature of a Summer collection and giving beautiful, innovative and surprising new leases of life.

Christopher Kane's sticker flowers

Erdem- flowers fit for a country garden

Mary Katrantzou- digi floral

3.Where is real online fashion buzz generated? Celine vs Chanel

Although fashion insiders might bang on about Alexander Wang and Celine being must-have labels, it seems the real excitement is still generated by the big players like Prada and Chanel who were by far the most popular in terms of the content they generated online over the past year. I suppose with their big budgets and massive product ranges (perfumes make a brand infinitely more accessible) this is not that surprising but you do wonder if there'll ever be a time when the balance could shift.

Celine SS12

4. Getting Your Five A Day

After the success of the Prada banana for SS11, Dolce and Gabbana have got in on the food themed act by using vegetable prints in their collection. EditD say this is one of the key looks from the shows and so could become an overriding image of SS12. As we've previously reported, a deep sea mythical world popped up across several key shows including Alexander McQueen and Chanel so actually next Summer might be more about mermaids than wearing your 5 a day.

Dolce and Gabbana SS12

5. Retro Versus Feminine

Flounces and ribbons made McQueen the epitome of femininity


Gucci's 20s references

Lastly, some of the stats are a bit confusing. Take 'retro' - this is stated as the top style as calculated by the sentiment and buzz it created - i.e there were lots of 60s and 20s inspired clothes. Fair enough. But then we're told that 80% of responses to retro styles were negative. Whereas 75% of reactions to feminine clothes were positive. What does it all mean? Only time will tell.
All images from catwalking.com
EditD.com

MY NEW GIRL CRUSH: LANA DEL REY

2011-10-12T03:35:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Last night New Yorker Lana Del Rey (real name Lizzy Grant) popped up on Later with Jools Holland on BBC2. Eagle-eyed readers will note that we recently blogged about her song Video Games being the tune of London Fashion Week.

The final verse of Video Games

It's you, it's you, it's all for you
Everything I do
Tell you all the time
Heaven is a place on earth wit' you
Tell me all the things you wanna do do
I heard that you like the bad girls
Honey, is that true?

To say 26-year-old Lana was mesmerising, and the song Video Games even more haunting sung live would be not doing this TV moment justice. She was utterly UTTERLY captivating, and Lana looks like the naughty jazz-singer sister of Natalie Portman. She is better in moving image, though.

From nme.com

From Hipsterrunoff.com I think this person looks like Pixie Lott...can it really be Lana?

However, it seems my reaction to Lana/Lizzy is exactly what her management team are hoping for from journalists and bloggers. Her backstory suggests she is an "internet phenomenon" who "made her videos at home, and they just, like, took off all on their own." Well, dur me. According to this article on Hipsterrunoff.com, she is as manufactured as Rhythmix (X Factor UK girl band), but designed to look un-manufactured. Apparently she was being marketed in the same vein as a Pixie Lott type character, until her lack of success forced a rethink - hence here she is as an indie cool chick who doesn't give a F***.

Why do music companies bother with all the smoke and mirrors? Fashion businesses often update their packaging and brand image to no detriment and without backlash, in fact it is seen as a positive forward-thinking move. Lana as she is now is a brilliant package and all power to her. BUT if any of her management team are reading this, please note I would very much like to see her better dressed. As one person on Twitter pointed out this morning, she looked like Slutty Nurse on Jools. Christopher Kane's Spring/Summer 2012 collction would be perfect for her. After all Video Games serenaded this very collection on the runway, and really, his kooky sexiness would suit her to a tee.

Christopher Kane SS12 - Lana, this is perfect for you. And we'll let you keep your Ragga Girl nails

Christopher Kane SS12 (photos: Catwalking)

Video Games is released Sunday 16th October, but you can download it from US iTunes now.

MARY QUEEN OF FROCKS: GET SOME ARMERY IN YOUR LIFE

2011-10-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Some behind the scenes pictures from Melanie and Mary's shoot for The Guardian. The location is the shop in House of Fraser, as it was a few weeks before opening!

If any of you have been watching Mary Queen of Frocks then you will be well aware that that our very own FashEd a.k.a Melanie Rickey, has played a crucial role in helping the fabulous Mary to create her first shop concept and clothing collection. This weekend, Mel and Mary did their first ever interview together in which they discuss how they came up with the essential elements of the collection.

AN EXCERPT FROM JESS CARTNER MORLEY'S INTERVIEW:
''How would Mary, the collection, have been different if Mel hadn't been involved? "It goes further back than that. Melanie has had a huge impact on how I dress. Early on in our relationship, we went shopping in Harvey Nicks. Boho was in – all those big puffy sleeves, and it all looked beyond dreadful on me, I was dying in the changing room, so we left and went home and Mel edited my wardrobe. She was brilliant. Essentially, she created the signature look I've had ever since." In that look was the germ of an idea, for a collection that would rescue other Marys out there from changing-room hell. When it came to pinning down the concept for the range, they sat down "and tried to figure out: what makes the perfect outfit?" says Mel. The result is the Pret a Portas cocktail (the fingerprints of Mel's Grazia background are all over the communication of the brand) which goes: one part simple chic, one part edge, then decorate. "That's how Kate Moss does it," says Melanie. "That's how I do it," adds Mary''

The FashEd models her big idea

Another of Melanie's big ideas was ARMERY- this is best described as tights for arms and engineered so that anybody a bit conscious of the upper arm area can still wear a sleeveless dress without ruining the look with cardis and shrugs. And it seems they're going down a storm. Charnos, who collaborated on the armery, have told us today that 'the complete first batch has sold out, and a second wave had to be rushed throught the factory'. Hurrah for Mary, Charnos and Melanie!

We'd love to know if any of you have tried out armery and what you thought. It has already been a huge hit at the store, demand was so huge there was a waiting list of six pages which has just been cleared, and stock is back in now. Click the below link to get a good look at the product.

ARMERY costs £17.50 from House of Fraser.

WHAT I DID IN PARIS

2011-10-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

I was sitting behind Suzy Menkes and Hamish Bowles at Uniqueness by Alessandra Faccinetti (and Pinko). Their silhouettes could make a great fashion print.

Suzy & Hamish

Some of my favourite looks at Valli.

I've been posting every day over at Sportsgirl so I though I'd pop the links up here so you can see everything I got up to in Paris- Enjoy!

Oh, and apparently we're not the only ones who've been imagining what K-Mid might wear from the latest round of shows, hmmm

WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO WEAR SS12?

2011-10-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Nope, I'm sorry but Carine Roitfeld, Lisa Marie Fernandez and Anna Wintour (and more I'm sure) have beaten you to it. I know, I know, we thought fast fashion happened in Primark and Zara, not at Burberry and Givenchy. But think again because some of fashion's best connected are already wearing pieces which are probably warm off the models' backs. Are we jealous? Noooooo.

Lisa Marie Fernandez shows off her SS12 Pilotto in Paris (Image from graziadaily.co.uk)

One of my favourite shows of this season was Peter Pilotto and I thought I was safe in the knowledge that I had nine months to find a way to acquire a little piece of it. Swimwear designer Lisa Marie Fernandez had a head start on us all, earning her chance to premiere the prom dress by collaborating on the scuba ensembles which were standouts in the collection.

Peter Pilotto SS12

Anna Wintour arrived at the Louis Vuitton show on Wednesday morning in an African print trench coat from the Burberry SS12 show which she had taken a front row seat a mere two weeks earlier.

Wintour arriving at Vuitton (image from zimbio.com)

On the catwalk... Burberry SS12

But prize for the most astonishingly speedy turnaround goes to Carine Roitfeld who wore a variation on a number of looks from the Givenchy show the day after it took place.

Carine makes it real-life worthy with a silky blouse and shortened tails (Image from telegraph.co.uk)

On the catwalk...Givenchy SS12